Taking On The Farm:: With A Twist
by Kohana92
Summary: The traditional Harvest Moon plot with a twist- Angela must pretend to be a boy in her brothers' place on the farm he inherited for one year. How will she manage? Based on Tree of Tranquility/Gill/OC
1. CH 1 Prologue

A/N: Okay, so I figured I would give this a go. Basically, this isn't your average Harvest Moon story. The twist is that the main character is disguising herself as a guy, which I am surprised no one has written about yet. You'll find out why she is hiding her gender once you read on! So let me know if this is something I should keep working on...I have some great ideas for it. By the way, this WILL end up being Gill/Angela. Enjoy!

-Kohana

Chapter 1

So begins my first official day on this new island I wound up on. I still don't think I'm in my right mind having come here, but I'm hoping that will pass. Why am I walking through the streets of Waffle Town with a small bag, containing just a few of my possessions? Well, allow me to present a flashback from only days ago.

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I sat reclining in my incredibly comfortable lounge chair in my room, attempting to study for my finals the following day. I also was trying to drown out my brother's irritating pleas by cranking the volume up on my iPod to full blast.

"PLEASE do this for me. You have no idea how much I need this!"

"Axel, I won't give up my first year out of high school to take over Grandpa's stupid farm, just so you can go chase your big dream of getting famous with your band. Which in my opinion, has no talent anyway," I replied.

"You know Mom won't let me do anything else. That farm is meant for our family to inherit. I would gladly do it, but the band is supposed to play at one of the biggest shows of the summer! I know we have a shot at being discovered, and I just can't pass up this chance. You have to understand that." Axel pushed. "You have to follow your dream, no matter what, right? That's what Dad always taught us." He said that because he knew he would strike a chord in me. Dad had already been swelling with pride for the day that his son would inherit his father's farm. Because Dad died before Grandpa did, the farm was handed down to Axel, naturally.

"Even so, what would I get out of it if I were to take your place?"

He thought for a moment. "When my band makes it big, I will pay for your college tuition. And I promise if we don't make it in a year, I will take over the farm. And erm...You'd make Dad proud?"

"Yeah, IF your band makes it big..." I thought about this for a while. I wasn't planning on going to college until next year anyway, why not try and build the farm up for a year? I was always one for seeing new sights and putting myself to the test.

"Alright, you have yourself a deal." I've never heard him squeal quite like he did then, and never got squeezed so hard in my life.

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So, here I am, after a long, sickening boat ride, on the quaint little island that will be my home for the next year. We agreed that he would keep in touch with Mom via cell phone to assure her that he was doing well on the farm, while I was supposedly his sidekick helping him. Back then, I didn't know why it was so vital that HE be the owner of the farm.

After wandering around the cobblestone streets for a while, I was approached by a short, stout man with a gleeful look about him.

"Welcome, welcome! You must be Axel!" He greeted me.

"Yes, that would be me," I replied.

"I'm Mayor Hamilton, the, well, mayor of Waffle Town. I hope you find it to your liking!"

"Thanks, it's my pleasure." I tried to shake his hand as firmly as possible.

"Yes, well. Allow me to show you to your home! If you come this way- oh! There's my boy! Gill-Come over here!" He started, waving on someone further up the road.

A young man about my age approached, clutching what appeared to be a diary, expressing a bored look on his face.

"Yes, father?" he asked monotonously.

"Gill, this is the new farmer, Axel. He will be taking over Mr. Coldwell's farm!" Hamilton explained.

"Hi, it's nice to meet yo-" I began. "Pleasure. Do you intend to stay more than a year?" he cut me off.

"Well, actually..." How do I answer that? "Yes?" I couldn't stop noticing the curl atop his head.

"Then you should have more confidence. You look pitiful. Don't slack off so you can get strong and work harder. That's my advice to you." he answered curtly.

"Well, thanks, I suppose." I murmured. With that, he waved slightly and walked away. I was too shocked at the moment to form an opinion on him.

"You'll have to forgive him, he can seem a bit anti-social at first, but Gill really does care about the island and the people on it." Hamilton explained. He almost seemed desperate to redeem his son's actions. Maybe Gill didn't have many friends. I shrugged.

"It's alright, really," I said in a hurry. "No hard feelings."

He smiled and nodded as we proceeded to my ranch.

After a brief introduction to basic farm life, he left me to unpack and explore a little.

I carefully walked into town, trying to steer clear of Gill, and entered the Sundae Inn. It was evening, so the place was bustling. Once I entered, I was overwhelmed with lots of delicious scents and rowdy noises. I let myself order a drink, apparently there was no drinking age here, and was quickly greeted while waiting. I believe the names were Kathy, Maya, Colleen, and even Mayor Hamilton was there. There was also an attractive boy with a unique hair color, almost peach-like, and bright, purple eyes, named Chase who sat at a table with us. I remembered him because he gave me a piece of shortcake on the house, as a 'welcoming gift'. I enjoyed their company and they all made me feel at home, unlike a certain someone whose name rhymes with "Kill". I was amazed at the contrasting personalities between the mayor and his son. Very odd, indeed. I was eager to find out more about the villagers here, though. I also had to remind myself to give my oh-so-beloved brother a call later. After socializing and sharing as much about myself as I was able, I started my walk home.

I tripped over a stump walking up to my door and was aware of the work I had ahead of me the next day.

"_Don't slack off so you can get strong and work harder._" His words rung in my mind once more. What a jerk.

Believe me, I was not planning on this to be a vacation. In fact, this was going to be one of the hardest years of my life.

I locked my door and closed my dusty curtains. Walking in front of my tiny mirror, I tucked my short locks behind my ear and yanked off my t-shirt. After doing so, I loosened my corsette-like vest, as I like to refer to as, "the suffocater", and was no longer bound by it so I appeared to be flat-chested. I sighed- _"not a vacation, indeed."_

_"By the way, Sis, the inheritance is only given to the sons in the family... it's their tradition, and it's strict. Heh."_

Did I mention that I also had to pretend that I was a guy? Axel owed me, big time.


	2. Getting Acquainted?

A/N: Hi everybody! Thank you for the reviews, they were really encouraging to see for the prologue. The chapters will be a little longer now, so enjoy. =]

-Kohana

p.s. Do you guys like it in first person POV, or would you prefer third person? Or both? I'm having trouble deciding, so I'll play around with it a little...

**Chapter Two**- Getting Acquainted

A week had passed since my arrival on the island. When I said this wasn't going to be a vacation, I wasn't kidding. My arms and back had never been so sore in my life, and it was a struggle every day to hide my identity as a female. Looking in the mirror, it was a bit depressing how easily I pulled off looking like a guy by simply hacking my long, flowing hair off. However, I always felt paranoid with how tiny I was built compared to the other guys around here. Luckily, no one seemed to notice anything. In fact, I had managed to make a few friends this first week rather easily. I especially liked Anissa and Luna. Both of them were sweet as could be, and they seemed eager to help me get acquainted with the area. I had friends of the opposite sex too, mind you. Or at least, what they thought were the opposite sex. I don't know, it's confusing to explain. But I have to force myself to try to act like a guy just so people don't think I'm gay or a ladies man. It's extremely stressful. As for Gill, we haven't spoken since our first meeting, aside from a short, "Good day", while passing in the Town Hall. I also spoke with my brother after arriving in the village, telling him that I was well and to call mom. As far as I knew, his band was on the road, having yet to perform. Surprise, surprise. I told him I'd keep in touch periodically.

It was another bright, sunny day that caused me to have an extra bounce in my step. I rolled out of bed, fastened my vest, and buttoned up my plaid shirt. To complete my boyish-farmer look, I tied a red bandanna around my neck. Taking one of my rice balls with my for breakfast, I walked outside and let the sunlight warm my face. Gazing out at my sea-side plot, I made a triumphant sigh. I had made a lot of progress in a week - my field was cleared with several rows of potatoes and cabbages already sprouting. Nothing like reaping the rewards of what you sow...or something like that. I watered my plants and wiped the sweat from my brow- it was a warm one today. Unfortunately, I had to stay as covered as possible, so my clothing was a bit bulky. Nevertheless, with high spirits, I grabbed my axe and was set on getting some chopping done today.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the light breeze on my hike up to the Ganache Mine District, inhaling the fresh air. It was something I didn't get to do so often in the city. I noticed there were a lot of stray animals around here, too. Of course, I didn't miss a chance to bend down and pet one if they came within five feet of me. I had a soft spot for animals, especially cats.

After shipping a few herbs, I didn't get done chopping two stumps before the ever-so-excitable Luke happened to see me. He came running towards me, blue hair flapping in the wind.

"HEY AXEL! I haven't seen you in these parts yet! Did you come up here to visit me?" he asked in a playful tone, punching my arm.

Trying not to wince, I replied, "Er, well, I was trying to chop some wood to expand my house, and-" He started again, "AWW, you're such a hard worker! You know what they say though, all work and no play makes Axel a dull boy! Hey Owen! Look who's here!" he shouted. I tried to act cool and not freak out around two of the, not necessarily brutish, but pretty rough, guys of Waffle Town. Owen came jogging over, looking like someone advertising the results of some body-building technique on TV.

"It's Axel! Hey man, how's life on the farm treating ya? Gettin' to ya yet? Hahah!" Owen asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Why were these two so excited to see me?

"Oh you know, I'm getting by. It's kind of hard to find stuff to eat right now, though." I began.

Luke eyed me. "No kidding! You are as skinny as a stick! Look at you!"

"I, uh, don't exercise much." I tried to make an excuse.

Owen grabbed my arm. "Pff, I can wrap my fingers around your arm! I know, we'll start a work out routine for you, I'll help you out!"

I laughed, "I'll be lucky if I get as big as Luke there, let alone you."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, you.." He jokingly put me into a headlock. "Maybe try getting past Gill's size first! BAHAH!" The two of them burst out into laughter. I tried to surpress a grin.

"Is there something funny that I missed?" Our heads snapped up at the sound of that intimidating voice. Lo and behold, there he was, blond curl and all.

"Naww, not really. We were just joking around about stuff. What are you up to around here, Gill?" Owen answered.

He narrowed his eyes at me. I flinched inwardly. "You. My father asked me to send you to my house to discuss something."

I was a bit surprised. I hoped I didn't do something wrong.

"Okay. But I kind of forget where that is." I confessed.

Gill sighed impatiently. "Alright, just follow me then." He didn't give me time to reply before he turned around and started to walk.

"Well, see you around guys." I waved goodbye to Owen and Luke, and began my dreaded walk with Gill.

Several minutes passed as we walked in silence, me slightly behind him. He walked with an upright poise, his nose pointed up in a confident manner. What was in that book he carried with him? I was snapped out of my thoughts by his voice.

"So, are you bonding well with the villagers here?" he randomly asked.

"Oh, yes! The guys can tend to be a little rowdy...but I mean, I'm tough, so I can handle it." I tried not to complain.

"Yeah, you look a little girly. Maybe the farm work will toughen you up." He stated casually. I froze. Why was I getting all of these comments today? I subconsciously folded my arms over my chest, just in case. He glanced over at me.

"What's the matter? It was just a joke," He stated. I sighed in relief. The secret is still safe.

"Oh, right, haha... So, um, what is this meeting about?" I tried to change the subject.

"He wants to have tea and discuss the harvest sprites' rainbows with you." By this time we had arrived at his front door. He opened it and allowed me to walk in first.

"Oh, I like tea." I added to his answer. He walked past me and paused, before entering the kitchen. "I like it, too."

I stared. _"Oh, wow, one thing we have in common. Amazing."_

"Oh, hello Axel! Thank you for coming!" Mayor Hamilton's jolly voice entered the cozy room from the stairs.

"Of course, any time. What exactly was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

"Please, have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Do you like milk or sugar in your tea?" He asked me.

"Yes, please," I plopped down on an over-sized sofa. Gill re-entered, taking a seat across from me in a red armchair. It felt strange sitting in Gill's living room, having tea with them.

"Here you are. Now, I wanted to discuss the story of the Harvest Goddess and the rainbows that need to be completed. I know you just got here and all, but it is a crucial part of our island's history that many don't take into consideration." he sighed. I sipped my tea, listening intently. "You see, we used to have wonderful rainbows here every which way, making us quite well known for them. But lately, they haven't been showing up since the Harvest Goddess went dormant. We think that through prosperity on this island, it is possible to bring her back. However, you are one of the only people capable of bringing that with your farm, naturally. I suppose I brought you here to ask you to please try your hardest to find the five harvest sprites' recipes and revive their rainbows!" he breathed.

"You don't know how important it is to bring success to this island... we hardly get any travelers, and it's hard to find buyers from the city any more. It's bringing down the island, but no one seems to care." Gill added. His face had a downfallen look to it. I half-pitied him. Something made me want to make them proud, and show Gill that I did care. I arose from my seat and looked them in the eyes.

"I promise that I will do my best to restore this island to how it used to be. It is such a beautiful place, I can only imagine how it used to be before. You can count on me." I told them in a determined voice. Gill looked stunned, not his usual collected face for once, and the Mayor smiled with glee.

"Well, brilliant! I'm glad to hear that, Axel! I suppose that is all, then. Just let me know if you need help with anything, my boy." Hamilton responded.

"Will do. Thanks for encouraging me, see you later." I waved to them and departed for my ranch.

Not only did I have to restore the ranch, but I also had to revive this Harvest Goddess. It seemed like something really important to Gill, though. For some reason, I wanted to prove Gill wrong- to show him that I could work hard and make something of myself, despite me being scrawny.

It was about dinner time when I got back home, and realized I had nothing to cook anything with. Sick of rice balls, I decided to head to the Inn to try and get a free meal again. Along the way, I passed by Luna, who seemed out of breath and a little distraught. Feeling bad for the purple-haired girl, I caught her running up the path.

"Hey, Luna! Is something the matter?"

She looked up at me with her big, lavender eyes. "My kitty ran away! She is white and her name is Chrysanthemum!" I tried not to laugh at such a ridiculous name for a cat. She obviously liked flowers, though.

"Well, let me help you find her. Two heads are better than one, right?" I offered. She beamed at that. "Really? Thank you Axel! I saw her go this way!" I hardly noticed when she took my hand and ran with me up the road, away from the Inn.

"Here kitty kitty! Chrissy!" She called for the cat every which way. I contributed by calling his/her name as well, making weird kissy noises that caught cats' attention.

After about thirty minutes, we plopped down by the pond near Toby's house in defeat. It was now dark out.

"Axel, what if she is lost, and scared?" she started to sniffle.

"Aw, don't cry! You seem like a great owner, I'm sure she will want to find her way back to you. My cat always did that." I tried to console her.

"You really think so?" she sounded hopeful. "I know so." I replied. I gazed off into the pond, trying not to notice Luna's longer-than-necessary staring at my face. Suddenly, we heard a soft, "meow." Whipping our heads around, out came the white cat, Chrysanthemum, from behind a bush.

Luna squealed with joy. "Chrissy! You found me!" She scooped the cat up in her arms, stroking it while it purred.

"Axel, thank you so much for helping me! I would have been a mess without you!" She giggled.

"I was glad to help. I think she is, too." I said, referring to the cat. I scratched it behind the ear.

"I think a guy who likes cats is very admirable." she added, rather dreamily. I stared for a moment, then laughed to break the tension.

"Yep! Well, I need to go get to bed soon, you know us farmers- early to bed, early to rise! Heh, heh." I was so smooth.

"Right! Thanks again! See you later!" She walked off, cradling her cat in her arms. I also began to walk towards my original destination, the Inn. The thought that Luna could have feelings for me crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off. I was just trying to be nice by helping her find her cat, and I definitely did not need girls to start getting crushes on me. I sighed as I entered the Sundae Inn, looking for Chase. He quickly spotted me and waved.

"Hey there, Axel. Out of food again?" he asked from across the counter. I nodded bashfully.

"Well, maybe you could work a night shift to help pay for your meals." he said. Kathy popped up in front of him, snorting.

"Chase, cut him some slack! He is still starting out and I think that every person deserves to have food, free or not!" she shot at him.

"Hey Kathy, we are trying to run a business here, I don't need your sass." he replied back. I noticed Chase could show some sass, himself, if he wanted to. "No offense, Axel." he threw in.

"Here Axel, a sandwich on the house." Kathy grabbed a plate out of the fridge and placed it on a table in front of me, winking before walking back to the bar.

"His first week here and he is already winning over the ladies." Chase exclaimed, throwing his arms up while cleaning a cup. I shrugged my shoulders, but I almost lost my appetite.

_"Definitely NOT what I was going for, Chase."_


	3. Fun In The Sun

A/N: I'm back with chapter 3! I hope you like it so far, thanks again for the reviews, they are much appreciated. So yeah, on with the show.

P.S. I do not own Harvest Moon. =[

P.S.S. Although some things with the rainbows may not make sense as in the order of the actual game, please just bear with me and enjoy it for the sake of the story. Thanks. =]

~Kohana

Chapter 3- Fun In The Sun

Before I knew it, spring was near its end and summer was soon arriving. The pink cherry blossoms' leaves were fading to green, and the flowery fragrance in the air was turning into thick heat. I felt that I had accomplished a fair amount in the spring and was quite proud of myself. I had made a few grand in gold, bought some chickens, completed one rainbow, and had settled in with plenty of friends around me. Best of all, no one had discovered my secret yet. Playing out three more seasons would be a breeze. Or, so I thought.

I rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn, thanks to my roosters' crow. Groggily, I stumbled over to my wardrobe and threw on my signature flannel and beat up jeans- over my zip up vest, of course. I checked my appearance in my mirror, running a comb through my hair. I would have to trim it soon before it got too long. Humming an upbeat tune, I started toward my kitchen. Glancing over, I froze when I came across my calendar. It was the seventh day of summer, meaning the Ocean Festival. Meaning the beach. Meaning swimsuits, or less clothing. Meaning me being busted. I paused. Also, meaning a girl asking me to watch fireworks with them. Need I go on?

I paced in circles thinking of how to get myself out of this. I nearly had a heart attack when I heard a knock at my door. Opening with a creak, I was greeted by the cheery face of the mayor. I thought I was the only one that woke up this early.

"Good morning, Axel! I can already tell it's going to be a hot one today!" He exclaimed. Greatt.

"Oh, yeah, good morning to you too. So what's up?" I asked, even though I already knew why he was here.

"Well, I dropped by to make sure you know to come to the beach today. We are going to have a lot of fun all day, even until after dark with fireworks! So please make it a priority to take some time off and have fun with your fellow villagers, okay?"

"Yeah, I will definitely come. It'll be, uh, a great time!" I faked a grin. He seemed all the more happier.

"Glad to hear that! See you there, then!" With that he waved and walked off. Time to do chores.

I tried to take my sweet time, dreading the rest of the day. I was not looking forward to the heat, mostly. Had I been in the city, the string bikini would have been on in a heart beat and I would be swimming like a fish in the ocean. I sighed, "_Not today, Angela_." Maybe I could spend some time getting Gill to loosen up a bit. I admired his ambition, and wanted to get to know him more, without seeming weird.

_"Yeah, you'll seem real normal in your work clothes all day while everyone else swims._"

I needed an excuse to stay out of the water. Let's see... I could say I'm afraid of sharks... or swimming...That's it!- I would say I didn't know how to swim. Simple enough. Feeling more comfortable with my excuse, I allowed myself to wear a pair of cut-off denim shorts that went just to my knees, and a pair of my brother's flip flops. Throwing my straw cow boy hat on, I headed out to the beach.

Upon arriving, I didn't feel so out of place. Only the more outgoing people had swim suits on, while most of the others were in summer attire. I was relieved that it seemed like it was a festival for eating and hanging out, not just swimming. After walking around for a bit, I was greeted by Maya and Luna, hair bouncing as they ran up to me.

"Hey, Axel! Where is your swimsuit?" Maya asked. They were both wet, indicating that they had already been in the ocean.

"Oh, um- I don't like to swim, so I didn't bring it." I replied. She frowned at me.

"What?! How can you not like to swim?" She asked again.

"Well...you see, it's a secret. Promise not to tell?" Maybe my manly charm would work this time. It seemed to- her eyes got big and she nodded.

"I actually don't know how to swim. I sink like an anchor in water," I joked. They nodded in understanding.

"Well, silly, I will just have to teach you!" Luna said, pulling on my wrist. I quickly pulled back.

"NO! I mean- I-I'm terrified! I'm sorry." I quickly saved myself from seeming rude.

"Come on! Pleeeaase?" They begged. I needed an escape...

"Ladies, ladies. Can't you leave the poor guy alone? He obviously doesn't want to swim with you." My rescue came, peach hair and all.

"Chase! That was rude! He would love to swim with us!" Maya shouted.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? I don't think he would like to by force."

"Um, how about we play volleyball later?" I offered to sooth the arguing. Their faces brightened.

"Okay! We are holding you to that, though!" Luna exclaimed. They giggled and went back to splashing around on the shore. I sighed in relief.

"Thank you," I looked at Chase. He had purple swimming trunks on, with a white muscle shirt. He seemed to stare me down for a second, then laughed back.

"No problem. They get awfully clingy to you." He nudged me with his elbow, "that's what you get for being a ladies man." I flinched.

"I am not!" I then realized that I probably did come off as a ladies man with how much I interacted with the females. I couldn't help it, though.

"Sure, sure. So why don't you REALLY like to swim?" He glanced at me. I gulped.

"Because I really can't swim?" I answered. He burst into laughter.

"Haha! Oh, are you serious? I'm sorry, man. I admire your honesty, though." He added.

"Is Gill around?" I blurted. What brought that up?

Chase wrinkled his nose. "Gill? I doubt he's around yet. He is too stuck up to have fun at a festival like this."

I looked down. "Oh... Well I would think he would enjoy everyone's company. He needs a break from work."

He snorted, "You got that right. But don't worry about him, let's start a game of volleyball, eh?" He smiled and ran over to a net. I smiled back and let myself have good time, for now.

We started a massive game of volleyball, involving most of the youth of the village. I was on Chase's team, who was actually pretty good at the game. I stayed in the back, since I was short and could hit the ball from a low point. After a few practice games, the official score was 19-20, us behind. The other team needed one more point to beat us by two. I watched the ball soar over the net, then Chase hitting it up, setting it for me to hit. Glancing to the right, I caught a blond head in the corner of my eye. Looking over, there was Gill, fully dressed, walking towards the net to watch. He casually waved, as I had little time to respond while the ball smacked me square on the head. I had lost the game.

"Oww!" I held my head.

"GAME POINT! WE WON!" Luna shouted. My team glared at me.

"Sorry everyone! That was my fault!" I tried to lighten the mood. I noticed Gill chuckle slightly at me. How embarrassing.

"Aw, it's okay Axel. Everyone messes up." Chase tried to comfort me.

"Haha, I guess you're righ-" I was interrupted by none other than Owen.

"AXEL!!!! HOW DID YOU MISS THAT?! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" I'm pretty sure he said that in a joking tone, but I couldn't really tell.

Of course, his sidekick Luke chimed in, "THROW HIM IN THE WATER!" I gasped. _"No!"_

The two of them ran up and grabbed each one of my arms, practically throwing me over their shoulders. Damn them for taking advantage of how tiny I was!

"No! Please do-" SPLASH! They tossed me in to the water, about knee-deep. I yelped, but welcomed the refreshing sensation of the cool waves. I looked over to see everyone laughing hysterically. Then several of them ran over to join me.

Splashing around in the water wasn't as bad as I thought it would be in my clothes. I got to cool off, and get revenge on Owen and Luke for throwing me in. Before we knew it, it was past dusk.

"Alright everyone, please dry off and get ready for the fireworks!" The mayor called.

My stomach grumbled. I hadn't eaten anything all day! I began to walk out of the ocean in search of a towel and food.

"Hey, Chase, do you want to get some food?" I turned to ask him, only to find him with a blank look on his face, staring at the wet clothing clinging to me. I froze as he shook his head. Was that a blush I saw?

"Oh- uh, sure thing." He mumbled, walking to the food stall. I quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, to avoid any unwanted attention.

While munching on my corn dog, I spotted Gill leisurely sitting on a towel. I jogged over and plopped down beside him.

"So, uh, did you enjoy the festival today?" I asked to start a conversation.

He turned his head towards me. "I suppose. I'm not really a beachy person."

"Oh, I see. Well, me either. I mean, I don't like to swim or anything." Why did I feel the need to impress him? Maybe because he was the Mayor's son, and it was important to be on good terms.

"Heh, you seemed to have fun getting thrown in the ocean," he stated. He kept glancing around, seeming distracted.

"Well, that was because I looked at you and you distracted me and I missed our game point..." I went on. "But uh, are you watching the fireworks with anyone?" Was it strange to ask him that? I guess so.

He gave me a funny look. "Uh, yeah, Luna asked me practically weeks ago. Here she comes, actually." He answered in a bragging manner, as if he had to prove that he actually had a date. He motioned towards the purple-haired girl approaching.

"Oh, right! Well enjoy the show then!" Feeling stupid, I started to wander back to where I sat with Chase, only to be stopped by Luna.

"Axel! Do you have someone to sit with?" She caught my arm.

"Uh, well, no, I don't." I saw that Chase was now sitting with Maya. Thanks a lot, Chase.

"Oh, good! Come sit with me and Gill!" She pulled me over to him. I blushed.

"I don't want to intrude or anything, though," I started.

"Don't worry! Gill doesn't mind another person, right Gill?" She turned to him, almost daring him to say yes.

"I don't care," Was his only response. I couldn't tell if he didn't care about me or her being there, or the both of us.

"Well, if you say so..." I went to sit down, after Luna plopped down right in between Gill and I.

"Isn't this nice, all of us enjoying the fireworks together?" She sighed, scooting closer to me. I edged away slowly.

"Sure is." I stiffly watched the fireworks begin, conscious of Gill's presence beside me. For some reason, I felt jittery around him, like I had to get his approval. I'm pretty sure he thought I was odd enough, though.

After what seemed like hours, the show was over. We got up and said our goodbyes, Gill seeming irritated as he left. I walked home with my shoulders slumped. Great, now he thought I was stealing his girl. Or, whatever she was to him. Something in my chest panged a little at the thought of them, and I didn't know why.

When I got home, I changed out of my clothes and collapsed on my bed. It was then that I realized two things I had to be careful of: 1. Not letting Owen and Luke expose my secret, and 2. Not letting my other secret be exposed, and that was this feeling for Gill.

A/N: That's it! Please review and let me know what you thought! Until next chapter...


	4. Not So Much Fun In The Sun

**Author's Note:** Well, I have to say all of your reviews got me back in the mood to continue this story. So, thank you so much for not giving up on it! I'm sorry it's been awhile, but I am really going to try to keep updating. It's my senior year so I have more free time than usual. With that…here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

**Chapter Four**

Gill's P.O.V.

I hated summer. The heat was unbearable for me. This is why I was grateful to work indoors, in my nice, air-conditioned office at the Town Hall. While I was busily sorting through land purchases, deeds, and other documents, Elli seemed especially interested in something out side the window.

"I love being able to see that rainbow right outside the office! It really brightens up my day," she sighed. I nodded.

"Yes, it does seem to create a more cheerful atmosphere here, doesn't it?" I had to agree.

"That Axel has really done a lot for the island in just two seasons. I'm so happy he came!" she laughed. I looked away. Axel had indeed contributed a lot to the island, for which I was extremely grateful. He had a lot going for him. "_Yeah, he even has the girls eating out of the palm of his hand…" _I thought.

It was kind of refreshing to see that I wasn't the only one who wanted to make a change, though.

I really wasn't a stick in the mud. At least, I sure didn't try to be. Being raised by the mayor of the town, I had always had hardworking values instilled in me. Was it really so bad that I enforced them in everything I did? According to everyone else, it was.

Elli interrupted my thoughts by sliding a piece of paper on my desk.

"Speaking of which, he just made a purchase on a piece of land toward the Ginache Mines. Be a dear and take this over for him to sign, would you?" she asked sweetly. I sighed. As much as I didn't want to leave my nice, cool seat, I grabbed it and headed out the door.

Angela's P.O.V.

The thick, summer heat engulfed my skin as I walked out of my chicken coop. It was nearly the afternoon and I was already feeling a day's work. Although I was getting used to wearing baggy clothes all of the time, I felt extremely uncomfortable today. You can imagine the relief on my face when I saw someone running up the road to my farm with a cooler. I squinted to see who it was. The peach hair immediately gave away that it was Chase.

"Hey there! What are you running for in this heat?" I asked him.

He stopped and let himself in the fenced door and panted, "I just cooked a new recipe and I wanted you to try it. BUT- it's cold, so you will have to eat it quick!"

My eyes lit up. "You picked the best day for this, Chase! What am I testing for you?"

He opened the cooler and whipped out a small container with a spoon.

"Mango ice cream!" he said proudly. My mouth started to water. I gladly accepted the dish and ate a spoonful.

"This-this is amazing! It is so refreshing!" I exclaimed. His face was adorable.

"It was nothing… but since you approve, I'll start serving it at the Inn." He smiled.

I beamed and couldn't resist giving him a hug. Baaaaaddd idea.

I gave him a huge squeeze, only to pull away from a beet-red Chase.

"Erm…yeah, so thanks," I tried to make it less awkward.

"Uh…you're welcome. Bye!" With that he turned around and ran as fast as he had come.

"Weird.." I muttered. _"You idiot! You can't go around hugging guys like that! What if he _**felt**_ something??" _I scolded myself.

Ordinarily, I would have gone on for another ten minutes or so, but there was delicious ice cream to finish, and too little time before it melted to worry about other things.

After finishing the frozen treat, I soon realized that I hadn't even watered my crops! I let out a loud moan and dragged myself to fill my watering can. In about a half an hour, I felt as exhausted as I did before Chase came.

I was just getting ready to enjoy a nice nap under the shade of my favorite tree, when two more visitors ran along my fence.

"Hey, Axel! Hope you are ready to go wood-chopping like you promised!" I heard Luke yell. My spirits dropped. Why did I promise things I didn't even want to do?

"Why are you sittin' there? Come on, today is our work out day to give you more muscle! Your intense work out starts with cuttin' wood!" Owen explained.

I groaned. I couldn't turn them down , it would be the third time this season. I nodded and began my walk with them towards the forest.

We arrived at a small patch not too far from my farm. I soon recognized it as the plot I bought to grow more crops. Shouldn't I be getting a paper to sign before it was officially mine? I shrugged. At least I would have help clearing out the land.

An hour had past, and Luke and Owen wouldn't let up on me. I had been chopping non-stop (with no help from either one of them), until finally all of the stumps were gone. I caught myself from falling and sat on a rock.

"You had more in you than I thought, Axel! Next week we'll do rocks!" Owen said encouragingly. All I did was cough in response. I was suddenly shoved forward by Luke jumping with both of his hands on my shoulders.

"I have a great idea! Let's go to the hot spring to relax our muscles!" Luke shouted in my ear.

"Yeah! That'll make you feel better, Axel." Owen added. They wouldn't take no for an answer.

My heart picked up pace. There was absolutely no way I could hide myself if I got in that situation. The stress of this thought, along with my physical state, was enough for me to let out a small "eep!" before falling over and being surrounded by darkness.

Gill's P.O.V.

I was strolling up to Axel's ranch, not enjoying the sticky heat one bit, when I heard some shouting in the distance. I disregarded it, since Luke and Owen were always shouting, and proceeded to knock on Axel's door.

When I got no answer after a few minutes, I looked around the farm. It looked like he had done work today, but there was no Axel anywhere. I shook off my fear of something being wrong with him, and curiously wandered over to the shouting in case one of the two dimwits happened to know where he was.

Sure enough, there were Axel, Luke, and Owen. However, Luke and Owen were standing over a slumped over Axel, preparing to seize him by the arms and legs and carry him somewhere. I quickly rushed over to them.

"May I ask what in the world you are doing to him?!" I exclaimed. I was frustrated not only because they looked like goons, but also because they were postponing my work.

"Lay off, Gill! We were just getting ready to go to the hot spring when Axel passed out!" Luke shouted.

I glared. "Well you must have done SOMETHING to make him lose consciousness." I retorted.

"Well, uh- he did look kind of beat after chopping all this wood." Owen admitted. They were still standing there, dangling Axel.

"Why would you make him chop wood on one of the hottest days of the year?! Unlike you two, he does have other work to do!" I don't know why I was so angry at these two. Maybe because they were among those who didn't care about hard work and only cared about having fun. Or maybe I cared about what actually happened to Axel. Only because of the prosperity of the island, of course.

"Well standin' here arguin' isn't going to do anything to help Axel, so we have to take him to Jin's!" Owen finally thought of something reasonable. I sighed and nodded, picking up Axel's things and let them drag him to the Clinic.

Angela's P.O.V.

I opened my eyes and quickly snapped them shut when I saw all of the white around me. Where was I? All I could remember was being with Luke and Owen, and then… I quickly snapped up. I looked down and saw that I was still in my clothes, and exhaled a sigh of relief. When I got a hold of myself, I looked around and saw the three faces of Gill, Luke, and Owen staring at me. Had I passed out?

"Woah, calm down there. You just passed out." Owen explained. I guess I had.

"Yeah, you really scared us!" Luke added.

"I'm sorry! You guys were just trying to help me and I wasn't even strong enough to keep up." I sighed.

Owen chuckled. "Don't be sorry! Gill was right, you have more work to do than we do. We didn't even think about how tired you were." My gaze slowly shifted to Gill, who blushed and crossed his arms.

"I was bringing over your certification for you to sign for your new plot of land. Thankfully, I stumbled upon them flailing you around like a doll," Gill explained, "You shouldn't push yourself like that if you don't feel up to doing something."

I looked down. Great, now he thought I didn't know how to take care of myself.

Wanting to not seem so helpless, I snapped, "I know how to handle myself, thank you."

Gill looked a bit shocked, and even taken aback. I immediately regretted saying that.

"Then maybe you should start acting like you can." He jabbed back, "All I needed was your signature so I may leave." He put a pen and paper beside me. I quickly grabbed it and signed my brother's name, Axel J. Coldwell, and handed it back. He nodded to me and got up and left.

So he hadn't waited for me to wake up because he was worried. Why had I let that get my hopes up?

Having made an uncomfortable atmosphere for Luke and Owen, they quickly said their goodbyes and that they hoped I felt better. I sighed. Just when I was about to let my guard down, Doctor Jin quietly walked through the curtain. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Jin, thank you so much for helping me! I promise you won't see me in here frequently." I tried to joke.

He gave me a half smile. "No worries, however…" He leaned against the wall.

"Would you like to tell me why a nice girl like you is disguising herself as a male?"

**Author's Note:** End of this chapter! Sorry for the cliffy! I promise the next one will be up soon though. =]


	5. Suspicions

**Author's Note:** I know, you are probably thinking, "Woahh! Two chapters in one week? How can this be??" I am on a roll. We will leave it at that.

P.S. Thank you to all my reviewers! You are the best!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

**Chapter Five**

**Recap:**

"_Jin, thank you so much for helping me! I promise you won't see me in here frequently." I tried to joke._

_He gave me a half smile. "No worries, however…" He leaned against the wall._

"_Would you like to tell me why a nice girl like you is disguising herself as a male?"_

Angela's P.O.V.

My heart beat sky-rocketed. Everything seemed like a blur- I couldn't think straight.

_"It's all over. My secret's out. I have to leave. I can't stay. I can't help the island. I can't see G-"_ Thankfully_,_ Jin cut off my thoughtful rant.

"Ms. Coldwell?" he prodded. I met his curious gaze.

"H-how?" was all I could mutter.

"Well, naturally, when someone passes out it is mandatory that I inspect them for wounds…everywhere." He made sure I understood. My face turned a thousand shades of red.

"I am a doctor, erm, and a professional. Nothing I haven't seen before. As far as wounds go, you were fine, except for heat exhaustion." He added, "But, we won't change the subject. I'm curious as to why someone would do something so extreme as to dress up as the opposite sex."

I sighed. The cat was out of the bag, so I may as well just spill. I explained everything to him about my brother's band and his promise to pay for my tuition if/when they "made it big."

Jin looked very thoughtful, and nodded. "I see. That is quite a situation you are in! I give you a lot of credit for your determination."

I still felt embarrassed and a little awkward that someone knew my deepest secret.

"So…are you going to…you know, say anything?" I was deathly afraid to ask.

He stared at me, tapping his chin with his finger, before concluding, "You've done a lot for this island in two short seasons. While the tradition here strictly forbids a female inheriting a family farm, I am interested to see how this plays out," he leaned back, "If you ask me, I'm all for helping the island at any cost. So, let's just say I know nothing, hm? You're secret is safe with me." He winked.

I stared in awe. I was pretty sure that he was my age, yet he seemed so much more mature and trustworthy compared to everyone else. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Th-thank you, Jin! I am in debt to you. I promise I won't let you down!" I breathed. My secret was still safe! I let myself exhale.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I will warn you though- what you are doing goes entirely against this island's traditions and customs. If someone else catches you, I can't guarantee that you will be off the hook…" he exhaled loudly, "to think, if Gill or the Mayor found out…"

My eyes widened. That's right, they were both devoted to everything about the island… there is no way they would let something like this slide.

"But, no worries. Just keep thriving and doing what you can while you're here. At the end of the year, I'm sure when your twin brother takes your place no one will even notice! It's a clever plan, indeed…" he paused, "If you need anything, you can see me at any time."

"I can't thank you enough, Jin! I promise I will be more careful so this won't happen again!" I had a new hope running through me, and felt more confident than ever.

He chuckled, "Good. I think you are feeling better, so you may leave if you wish."

I was on a weird high running back to my farm. I felt invincible- kind of like I had pride in my gender. Who says girls aren't as strong as guys? I also felt like I could trust the Doctor.

Not looking where I was going, I collided with something firm, yet lean. I looked up and met Chase's shocked, purple eyes.

Chase's P.O.V.

Oh crap. I saw him coming- what was he doing? He was running straight at me and didn't even realize he was going to- THUD.

"Hey!" I shouted. I guess he didn't realize he was going to run into me.

Axel seemed a little flustered, but giddy about something.

"Sorry Chase! I guess I had my head in the clouds…heh." He said.

"It's fine…Are you alright? I heard you collapsed." I asked him.

"Oh- you did?! I mean…it wasn't that big of a deal. Just out doing some hard labor, you know, manly stuff." He responded.

I raised an eye brow. "So much that it caused you to faint."

He looked like he was at a loss. "Well, we all have our limits, I guess. Anyway- thanks again for the ice cream! I would have been a goner much sooner if it weren't for you!" he chirped.

_Thump- Thump. _I grabbed my chest. What the hell? Why did my heart feel like it was pounding so hard? Why did his eyes and every other physical feature suddenly look soft?

"_What is wrong with me?!"_

Axel continued to stare at me with those doe-like, brown eyes. I had to get away from him.

"No problem… just, er-take care of yourself!" I said quickly, ruffling his hair and running towards the Inn.

Before anyone could say anything, I sped upstairs to my room and slammed my door shut. I didn't know what was going on with me, but it couldn't be sane. Ever since the Beach Festival, things felt weird when I was around Axel. My thoughts flashed back to his clothing clinging to his thin frame… I shuddered.

And when he hugged me- why did I get such a rush?

Then, the thought that I kept pushing in the back of my mind burst through-

"_What if I'm gay?" _

There was NO way! I shook my head. I KNEW that I liked girls.

If that was the case, then it wasn't so wrong that I was thinking like this, was it?! I mean, the guy looked so feminine! It wasn't weird for guys to think other guys vaguely resemble girls, was it? …was it?

Then why did I feel like I wanted to puke my guts out?

Angela's P.O.V.

Well, that made two weird encounters with Chase. He always seemed so cool and collected- so why was he freaking out all of the sudden?

I froze. He couldn't have known- could he? There was no way. Chase was my friend and surely would have said something by now. I sighed. He probably just thought I was weird because of that hug.

"_Stupid, Angela! Be more careful! Don't get comfortable…"_

Shrugging, I proceeded to take in my animals, as it was almost evening.

On another wonderfully hot day not much later, I was eating some toast for breakfast when I heard a knock on the door. Eager to see who it was so early, I ran over to answer it, shocked by the big, purple pigtails. I gulped.

"Good morning, Axel! I brought you some juice!" Luna said cheerfully.

"Hey, Luna. What's going on-"she cut me off. "Let's cut to the chase. I need to have a talk with you." She handed me the juice and waltzed in to my house.

"Wow, you are unusually tidy for a guy!" she walked around, inspecting my room.

I immediately thought the worst. She knew what was going on, and that's why she came to talk!

Trying to calm myself down, my breath froze when I looked at my hamper- WHY did I have to leave my pair of dainty, pink undies hanging out of the side?! I tried to think fast and distract her from looking in that direction.

"Uh- why don't you have a seat?" I guided her by the shoulders to the table and pulled out a chair, forcing her to plop down.

"Well geez, you don't have to be so assertive!" she piped.

"I'm sorry about that. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked. Her back wasn't completely turned, but as long as she kept her eyes on me, I didn't think she would notice them.

"Well, I wanted to come to you because I trust you, and you're the only guy I could get an honest answer from. You're just more sensitive than all of the others!" she began. I breathed. So she still thought I was a guy.

"So, I want to ask you for some advice. It's about Gill." She stated.

Remembering our last, bitter encounter, my heart sped up when she said his name.

"_Hey- who said I gave you permission to beat wildly like that?! It's nothing! Stupid heart." _I thought.

I nodded. "Eh heh heh! I don't know if I'm the best person to ask about Gill…" I started.

She tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Why not? He seemed to think pretty highly of you, so I thought that meant you knew each other well," she said.

I paused. _"HE thinks highly of ME? Surely she is mistaken."_ My long stare made her further explain.

"I was just telling him about how you helped me find my cat and he told me he was proud of what you've accomplished on this island so far! Aren't you aware of anything?" she asked.

No, apparently I was WAYY out of the loop, considering the way we've been interacting. I shrugged. Maybe this all happened before the fainting incident.

"Anyway, you're a guy, so I figured you could help me to get him to go on a date with me!" she exclaimed. I guess I didn't have to worry about the odd suspicion I had about her liking me.

"Oh, really? Why would you want to do something like that?" I stupidly asked.

"Because I LIKE him, silly! Why else would someone go on a date?"

I didn't really know what to think. My heart did that _pang_ thing again. I didn't like that feeling. What was I supposed to tell her, though?

I quickly thought of Chase bringing me ice cream. I'm a girl, and I appreciated food. Guys can't be too different, right?

"Uh, maybe you should make him something to eat or drink," I suggested, "You know, 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach,' heh."

I couldn't believe I was giving my sort-of rival advice.

"_You can't think about things like that while you're here. It's impossible."_ I told myself.

"Really? That really works?" she asked. I nodded.

Her eyes lit up. "Okay, I know! I'll get Maya to make something with tomato- that's his favorite!"

I sighed. "It might be more heart-felt if you make it yourself…"

She stared. "Are you kidding? I'd NEVER have a chance then! I'd be safer to get someone else to do it. Thank you for all of your hel- Axel?" she stopped short.

"What?" I asked.

"Why do you have ladies underwear hanging from your hamper?" Damn, she found them.

"I-uh, uh…" How was I going to get out of this one? "They aren't mine! Yeah, that's it." Phew, nice save.

"What?! Axel, I came here because I thought you were different! Apparently you are just as perverted as the others!" She fumed.

Funny, I didn't think all of the other guys here were too perverted… More importantly, what could I say to redeem myself? All I could say is that they weren't mine, and deal with it.

"Luna, I promise it's not like that. We , uh… we had been dating, so she came to visit from the city overnight and she had to change?" Oh Lord. What was I saying?

She eyes my skeptically "_'Had been'_ dating?"

"Y-yeah. We broke up the other day and she left them here. I swear nothing happened! Uh, women aren't objects and I would never do something like that so carelessly!" I ranted.

Her look softened. "That was really sweet of you to say. Okay, I believe you. But only because you don't seem like the kind of guy to even kiss someone. Hahah!" She got up from her seat.

"Thank you for your help, Axel! I feel confident that I'll get a date with my Gilly-Willy now!" she balled her fist.

I led her to the door. "No problem. I'm uh, good with advice." I smiled.

"See ya later!" she waved and I shut the door.

"Urgh! I need to stop making careless mistakes!" I exclaimed, shutting the hamper lid. Finally, our conversation sank in. I guess Luna and Gill would be an item, if they weren't already.

I suddenly felt a little down. I realized that I couldn't wear dresses like her, and act girly around any guys while I was here. Sure, it was only for a year, but could I really enjoy life here always being on the edge? And as for dating…that was laughable.

I thought about what it must be like to date and court people freely. I obviously couldn't do that here, but also through high school I wasn't much in the dating game, thanks to my over-protective older brother.

I wonder if things would be different with Gill if he knew I was a female. I frowned. That would be a disaster. Like the doctor had said, "_If someone else catches you, I can't guarantee that you will be off the hook…" …"to think, if Gill or the Mayor found out…"_

Would he say anything, or let it go? I shook my head. I shouldn't worry about it, because I swore that he would never, ever, find out. Imagine how disappointed he would be, after how well I've done as a guy!

That reminded me of the bad note we left off last time we met.

"_Maybe I should do something to get on better terms again._"

Luna had said that he liked tomatoes…hmm. I had an idea.

**Author's Note:** Hope you liked this chapter- I promise Gill will be in the next one. All of these interactions are important- I swear!


	6. New Music Video!

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone-I thought I would share with you all a little video I made to promote this story! The next chapter is well under way, but I wanted to get everyone excited for the story by making a visual promotion for it. So please go check it out and let me know what you think! Thank you- until next time.

-Kohana

Watch Here (take spaces and period in between you and tube out) --- www . you. tube . com /watch?v=xofLrn8iN2Q

P.S. If you can't get that, just search for "Gill x Akari I'd Lie" on you tube's site; it will be the first one.

Enjoy. =]


	7. Reconciled Over Tomato Juice

**Author's Note:** Thanks everyone for the support- the more reviews I get, the sooner I update!

To reply to one of my reviews from **drunken. lotus**: remember, Angela is doing this because she wants her college tuition paid off. However, this could change at the end of the story and could very well be a solution. You will find all those details out much later though!

So yeah, on with the story! Thank you for checking out my video as well, I'm glad you guys liked it. =]

Chapter 6

Angela's P.O.V.

It took a few more days for my tomatoes to ripen, but finally I had plenty of the red, plump vegetable to make a batch of tomato juice. Taking an empty glass jug, I poured it in and sealed it with a lid. (This is more realistic than putting a glass of juice in her backpack.) I smiled triumphantly. Maybe this will turn Gill around and make him want to be friends. I didn't think he was that impossible, seeing as Luna did seem to have a thing for him. I sighed. Would it be foolish if I had a thing for him, too? Would it be safe?

The consequences suddenly became more apparent. Maybe it was because I was really enjoying my life here. Away from worries about college and living big, people here were actually honored for their trade, what they were good at and enjoyed doing. Above all, they seemed _**happy. **_That was definitely NOT something seen in the city everyday. When I thought about my time being up here, or being caught and leaving early, my heart sank.

Therefore, getting too involved with someone and putting my emotions at risk is not worth getting sent home. I nodded to myself.

_"Just be strong, Angela, and enjoy your friends and the beautiful island!"_ I concluded.

An idea struck me just then, one that I would discuss with my brother the next time we spoke. Maybe he would let me stay with him here after one year! I paused. Was that worth giving up college and my over-achieving image, though; to just stay here and help on a farm? I was still confused on that one.

By the time I had pondered all of these things, I found myself in front of the Town Hall. What now?

"_How do I do this casually? "Hey Gill, I had some extra tomatoes, so I thought, you know, maybe you'd want some juice"… "How's it going? Want some tomato juice? Really? Totally a coincidence that this is your favorite and I happened to walk into your workplace with it!" _Ugh.

I know! I'm sure he would be happy to know that I just got the third rainbow! Yes, that would work.

I confidently walked into the Town Hall, eager to see his face when he saw the juice, only to see Luna already with…tomato juice? Was the Goddess out to get me for taking too long to revive the rainbows or something?

"H-hey everybody. I thought maybe you all would want something to quench your thirst on a hot day like today!" I looked around. Elli was the first to speak up.

"Thanks, Axel! I'm not a fan of tomato juice, but Gill is! He'd love some more!" she said cheerfully.

I glanced over at his desk, Luna standing in front of it. It seemed she had beaten me to it. And she didn't even make it herself! I snorted.

"Hey Luna, looks like we thought similarly!" I tried not to make her mad. She just seemed like the type of person who would get upset over someone taking the attention off of her, as much as I liked her as a friend. She stared at the pitcher in my hand.

"It's alright , Axel, because mine was made with **love.**" She winked at Gill and he seemed baffled as to what to do. He clearly wasn't used to being flirted with. I tried not to giggle.

"Heh, well then, I guess mine won't compare." I sighed. Maybe this was a dumb idea.

Then, for the first time since I had entered, Gill spoke. "I would still like to try some of yours too, just in case." He gave a light smile.

My face lit up. So he was done being a jerk!…for now. I smiled back, and sat the pitcher on his desk, beside Luna's.

"I thought you'd like to know that I got the third rainbow yesterday. Only two more to go!" I said happily. He smiled and was about to say something, when suddenly Luna leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He gave her a funny expression.

"Well, see you guys later. Enjoy the tomato juice, Gill! I hope you'll consider coming next week!" She waved and walked out the door.

I awkwardly stood there, wondering what she whispered to him. Thankfully, Elli interjected.

"That's right! Do you know about the trip next week, Axel?" she asked me.

"Nope, no idea. What's going on?" I replied.

"Selena invited the 'younger group' of the village to Toucan Island for a mini vacation. Everyone can go, but most of the older folks have to stay here so there is_ some_ business going on. She does it every summer, and anyone can come. Do you think you would want to go?" she informed me.

I thought quickly about this. The beach, swimsuits, and lots of people equal not such a good idea.

"I'll think about it. I don't know if I can leave the ranch and all…" I tried to make an excuse.

"Oh, pooh! You and Gill both work too hard. He refuses to go, too. If you change your mind, you're more than welcome." She stated.

"I can go to the beach any time I want- being there with a bunch of loud, immature people won't make it any better." Gill added.

"Gill, not everyone is immature! I think you would be surprised at how much you have in common with them!" Elli refuted. I secretly longed to go, but as myself. If only I could just wear a wig and say that I was a random islander…

"Would you go if Axel went? You two are similar in work ethic!" Elli asked him. I gulped. I didn't think Gill and I were close enough to assume something like that.

He just stared at her, seeming to be thinking. "No." he responded. I saw that answer coming, anyway. I figured he was just trying to be difficult with Elli.

"Well, I had better go, I'll catch you guys later!" I said to get out of the awkward situation.

"Axel-" Gill started. I turned to look at him.

"Pink underwear?" he raised an eyebrow. So that's what Luna had whispered to him! I made a mental note to address that.

"I-it- it's my **EX**-girlfriend's- she- we didn't- ….oh, forget it!" I said, flustered. Why did I emphasize "ex" girlfriend? Why would he care whether I had a girlfriend or not?

He merely chuckled, resuming his work. "Carry on," he said before I hurried out the door.

Chase's P.O.V.

A few days had passed since my 'incident', as I like to address it. I had finally come to a conclusion to resolve the problem of my sexuality- denial. I did not think anything about Axel that was out of line between two males, and there was nothing weird about noticing a guy's softness, or cute tousled hair, or big, brown eyes-

"Chase!" I jumped at hearing my name, burning my finger on the frying pan.

"Ow- what Maya?" I said in frustration. Did I ever state how much she got on my nerves sometimes? Strangely enough, I still had this same feeling that was similar to when I was in Axel's presence. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Sorry! Are you alright?" she asked in a concerned manner.

"I'm fine, I've had worse," I replied. I recalled the one time Maya dropped those kabobs, making them fly across the room and _not_ landing in a pleasant spot. I think she knew what I was thinking about, because she gave me an innocent smile.

"Hehe, well anyway, are you um, busy tonight?" Maya asked, leaning on the counter.

"I don't know, why?" I asked back.

"Well, I thought maybe we could hang out, like a date or something." She blushed.

Well, this was new. Usually we treated each other horribly. I had really thought that she hated me. I guess we had this strange attraction through teasing each other and being unnecessarily cruel.

That's when an idea hit me. This was how I would know if what I was feeling with Axel meant anything! I have a perfectly cute girl asking me on a date. I would try at all costs to enjoy myself so that I could forget about anything I was thinking before about him. It was genius!

"Sure. Want me to cook us something up?" I asked. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Why don't we cook together? It would be fun!" She suggested. I cringed. I couldn't say no.

"Uh- yeah, sure! Why not?" I said. She flung herself at me into a hug.

"Thank you, Chase! You never let me cook with you after I flipped that pancake at your face! I'm so excited to learn something new!" she exclaimed. Oh boy. This was going to be a long night.

After several hours of cooking, arguing, and me trying to stop her crying, we were semi-enjoying ourselves while nibbling on a piece of tiramisu.

"So, Chase, are you going to Toucan Island for mini vacation again this year?" Maya asked.

I swallowed. "Yeah, I guess so. It was pretty fun last year."

"Good! I can't wait to get in my swimsuit and play on the beach! I wonder if that new farmer will come, too?" She asked.

Oh goddess. Why did she say that? I was doing so well all evening! Beach, bathing suits, Axel in a bathing suit…

"_STOP, CHASE! JUST STOP IT!"_ I mentally screamed. I must have had a weird look on my face.

"Chase, are you okay?" Maya asked, tilting her head, "You look kind of flushed. Tehee."

"Just warm in here. Yeah, I don't know if he will go or not…" I answered. As much as I hated to admit it, even on a date with a girl I was still being drawn to Axel.

Why was I so intrigued by him? Was it his awkward mannerisms that were so adorable, or the way his face lit up when something made him happy?

I could NOT have a reputation going around town that I was gay. Chase was not gay. Even so, I think I started to come to accept the fact that I was attracted to him in some weird way. I just needed to clarify why- and I intended to on vacation.

That's right, I had to find out if he was going!

"Maya, I have to go. Dinner was great; we'll do this again sometime." _If I'm not gay._

She sighed dreamily, watching me hurry out of the Sundae Inn.

It was past sunset, and the fireflies were just starting to appear. I ran up to Axel's door, knocking three times. After no answer, I tried to see if the door was unlocked. It was, so I poked my head in. The TV was on- he must have been home. I was sure he wouldn't mind if I waited inside for him.

Angela's P.O.V.

I dried myself off, having had a lovely half-hour shower. Nothing felt better than washing all of the dirt and grime off after a long day's work on the farm. Waltzing out into my living room with my white, fluffy towel wrapped around me, I gasped when I saw Chase lounging on my couch, flipping through the TV channels.

"Chase?" I exclaimed. This was not good. Luckily, I had another towel for my hair and quickly draped it over my shoulders to get as much coverage as I could.

"What are you doing sitting on my couch?" I asked again. He just stared, mouth agape. I still had hope that he didn't notice anything, though, with my body entirely covered.

"I wanted to ask you something… uhh-" Why was he was beat-red? Didn't guys always see each other naked? What was so bad about being in a towel?

"Hold that thought- I'm putting my pajamas on." I quickly turned around and went into my room, put my vest back on, along with the baggiest t-shirt and pajama pants I owned. I re-entered the room and joined him on the couch.

"So uh, what's up?" I asked nervously.

"Have you heard about vacation next week?" he asked back.

"Oh! At Toucan Island. Yeah, but I don't think I'm going." I replied.

"Why not? This is an important week for everyone to you know, bond, and stuff, and you can't miss it!" he exclaimed.

"Ookay… I just have a lot of work to do on the ranch, I don't know if I can afford to miss a few days." I tried to explain. Now I kind of knew how Gill felt. Maybe if he went…

"But I'm going, and all of your friends are going, and I'm- I mean, _we_ are really counting on you to be there! Besides, a break from work is good for you! We don't want you to collapse again, do we?" he smirked.

I sighed. Knowing Chase, he wouldn't give in. I guessed I could afford to go away for a few days. I had just harvested my crops, and I could pay someone at Brownie Ranch to come take care of my animals. And a nice, tropical island sounded oh-so-appealing right now.

I nodded. "Alright, fine. You've convinced me! I'll call Elli and tell her I'll go." I put my hands up in defeat. Chase beamed.

"Awesome! We're going to have so much fun, I promise!" I giggled. He was so giddy.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, at the dock at 9 A.M.!" he stood up.

"We're leaving tomorrow?" I didn't think it was that soon!

"Well, yeah. For three days. So get your bags packed!" with that, he ruffled my hair and ran out the door.

I had less time to prepare than I thought. Was this going to be fun, or three days from hell?

**Author's Note:** Please tell me what you thought! Thanks!


	8. Vacation : Day 1

**Author's Note**: Thanks to everyone for all of the reviews! I can't believe I'm almost at 50! Let's keep them coming for this chapter. =] Enjoy.

**Chapter 7**

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I stretched, letting the sun's rays burst through the window and cover me.

_Today's the day. _

Last night with Chase had been a close call. How many close calls would there be on vacation? I couldn't refuse Chase's begging, though. He had become a really good friend to me, and I would hate to let him down. I giggled, remembering the cute look on his face; his purple eyes pleading me to go. If things were normal, maybe I would have considered dating him…

I quickly made myself an egg and downed a glass of orange juice before heading out to do my chores before 9 A.M.

But when placed next to Gill, he dulled in comparison. Which led me to wonder why on earth I was more attracted to him in the first place. Chase was so much nicer to me than Gill was. Yet, there was also the way I could barely breathe when Gill's icy, blue eyes locked on me, and how his blond hair gently framed them…

I caught my face heating up. I wondered if my attraction to him was merely physical. Ashamed of this thought, I quickly pushed it away, shaking my head. Gill was deeper than most could notice. I had seen his motivation for saving the island- the real reason behind his strict work ethic. Determination was a trait that we shared.

I was abruptly pulled out of my thoughts by something wet on my face. It was none-other than my cow, Delilah's, slobbery tongue.

I let out a loud shriek before pushing her face away.

"Delilah, I'm not food! I put hay in your bin for you to eat!" I laughed. I couldn't resist her big, brown eyes staring back at me, totally oblivious to her doing anything wrong. Hugging her neck, I whispered, "Please behave while I'm gone for three days."

After packing my bags (which involved lots of baggy shirts), I placed my straw hat and sunglasses on my head. With my tropical printed shirt and swimming trunks, I looked like the ultimate beach bum.

_Here it goes. Please don't let me screw anything up._

Duffel bag in hand, I started south towards the pier. Walking into Waffle Town, the ocean was as blue as could be with a light breeze. It was a beautiful day for sailing.

_I wonder if Gill changed his mind and decided to come…_

A light hum of voices could be heard approaching the dock. Excitement started to build up inside of me, kind of like when you are about to do something dangerous. My eyes searched for Elli. I'd never heard anyone squeal like her after telling her that I would go.

"Axel! There you are!" I heard her familiar voice and smiled. She pushed her way through the crowd of hyped-up young adults. It amused me how much they reminded me of a bunch of kids going to Senior Week.

"I'm so glad you're here! Look who else decided to come!" Elli stepped aside, revealing none other than…Gill!

I tried to hide my grin, failing miserably.

"Half of the village is going, so there will hardly be any work to do," he explained himself.

Even when going to the beach, he maintained his clean-cut appearance with khaki shorts and a blue polo that accentuated his eyes. The only thing that took away from this was a little smudge of sunscreen on his cheek. I giggled, having to hold myself back from reaching out and rubbing it in.

"And what's so funny?" Gill asked me. I glanced up at him, about to reply.

"He's laughing at your lame excuse. He actually agreed to come because he knew you were coming, Axel! Gilly finally found a friend he can relate to!" Elli answered. She seemed awfully close to Gill, but treated him more in a sisterly fashion. I then wondered if Gill really thought of me as a good friend. Maybe that tomato juice had done more than I thought.

"That is not the reason! However… your farm does bring in a lot of profit to the island, so a majority of my work deals with you." He allowed a small smile. I beamed. So I did make a difference!

Pascal suddenly yelled, "Everyone get ready to board! We're setting sail in ten minutes!"

The chatter got louder, and everybody quickly got into a single file line. When we finally boarded, I settled myself right in the front of the ferry. The ride was only going to be about thirty minutes, so I wanted to enjoy it while I could. I then noticed Luna plop herself beside me.

"Hey, Axel! Aren't you excited for vacation?" She asked me.

"Yeah, I am," I then remembered something, "I actually wanted to have a word with you about the pink underwear comment."

She stared for a few seconds. "Oh, that? Hehe, I just wanted to get you riled up! I believed every word of your story, don't worry." She laughed.

I sighed. Glancing over, I froze when I saw Gill staring at us, not looking very friendly at all. Was I doing something wrong? Suddenly, I remembered that look from the summer festival when we watched fireworks.

_That's right, Luna and Gill have a 'thing'…_

What shocked me even more, though, was when my view drifted slightly to the left, only to find Chase giving us the exact same look! What on earth could HE be mad at me for? Did he like Luna, too? Was I throwing a wrench into a complicated love triangle? I quickly became very uneasy.

"Axel, you don't look too well. Are you seasick?" Luna asked, touching my shoulder. I nodded.

"Yeah, I was never one for sailing, I'm afraid. I wouldn't want to get sick on you." I made up an excuse.

Her face twisted. "Yeah, you're right, that would be gross. I'll leave you be, then. See you when we get there!" she winked.

What was up with her? One minute, she asks me for advice with Gill, the next she is flirting with me again! I looked into the distance, trying to ignore the stares. She had better stop whatever she was doing, because I didn't want to lose my friends over it.

While Gill turned to look out his own side of the ferry, Chase strolled over to me. Oh, boy.

"Hey Axel, how's it going?" he said coolly, sitting beside me.

"Alright, yourself?" I answered.

"Great. I take it you haven't caught on to Luna yet?" he asked me. I stared.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"Clearly, you are her current boy toy. Didn't you pick up on her and Gill's 'thing'?" he informed me. Of course I had picked up on it.

"Yeah, but what do I have to do with it?" I tried to sound apathetic. Chase visibly exhaled, seeming relieved.

"She does this with everyone. She uses people to make Gill notice her. I wish the dunce would just realize it and make a move so she would knock it off." Chase ran his fingers through his peach-colored hair.

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. So that's why she paid me all of that attention. Once again, my heart sank at the thought of them. Maybe I should just back off and leave them be.

_No, not 'maybe'. Of course you should! You have no business with him in the first place!_

"Are you alright? You didn't like her or anything, did you?" he asked.

"Wha- No! I never thought of her as more than a friend!" I retorted. _Gill, on the other hand…_

"Haha, okay. Well, if anything happens, I've got your back." He patted my back.

"Th-thanks..." I muttered.

Upon arriving, I was amazed at the tropical oasis all around me. Toucan Island was a little slice of heaven! The sand was naturally almost white, complete with trees of all kinds of foreign fruits. I was in awe of the Pineapple Inn, too. Not only did it have multiple stories, but it had a spa built on to the side! I cried on the inside. _Ohh, to be a girl right now…_

Just then, a young woman dressed like a belly dancer came out of the inn to greet us. She was tan and curvy, with an exotic beauty about her. She cleared her throat.

"Welcome to the island everybody! I'm sure you're all excited to start the day, so once you put your things in your rooms meet me back here at the beach!" She called to us, "I already posted the rooms inside so people wouldn't fight. And that means NO co-ed rooms!"

I sighed in relief at the last comment. _Good, no awkward situations with any guys or – wait… I AM a 'guy'!_

I visibly tensed. I would have to act natural if I didn't want them to catch on to me. I gulped. Now I had to find out who my room mate would be…

As everyone scrambled inside to look at the piece of paper by the reception desk, Gill stopped me at the door.

"Looks like we are rooming together. Here's a key." He handed me a card and briskly turned around to head upstairs. I grimaced. This wasn't going to go smoothly.

I found my room on the second floor, no thanks to Gill, and set my things down. The rooms weren't huge, but cozy, with a tiki theme to them. I observed the bathrooms, noting that there was a lock on the door and sighed in relief. Seeing a bag on the other bed, I noticed that Gill had already been here and left.

_How can I convince him that nothing is going on between me and Luna without hurting her feelings? _

But, did I WANT them to get together? I admitted that I didn't, but I also didn't want him to hate me.

"My, my, are you in a delicate situation," a voice said from behind me. I jumped and looked at my open door to find someone with purple hair, dressed in flamboyant, multicolored swimming trunks. Had he been reading my mind?!

"Wh-who are you?" I inquired.

"Julius, pleased to meet you. Anyway, I, ahem, _overheard_ you and Chase's conversation on the boat ride, and couldn't help but offer my assistance." He leaned an arm against the door frame, "And I simply can't sit back and let a juicy love triangle go wrong!"

I froze. While I was certain he wasn't gay, he seemed be in touch with his feminine side, making me wonder if he caught on to anything.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" I said to him, trying to leave.

"Don't you want to be on good terms with Gill? Don't worry, I promise you I only have good intentions. However, Luna is a good friend of mine, and being the hopeless romantic that I am, I would hate to see this end badly!" Julius said dramatically.

I eyed him, wondering if he could be trusted. He seemed to know a thing or two about love, so maybe I could listen to his advice.

"Okay… what do you suggest I do, then?" I asked him.

"Well, first, you must make sure Gill understands that you aren't into 'his girl'. There's nothing worse than having competition, no?" he winked. I nodded dumbly.

"So, try to talk to Luna about him and convince her she needs to make the first move, rather than making him jealous. It's a big turn off!" He pointed his finger like he was instructing a class. His advice did make sense, though. With a new light on the situation, I was eager to put the plan into action.

"You're right. At least that will get her away from me. Then I can let Gill deal however he wants with her." _And if he likes her, then so be it._

Julius clapped his hands together. "Great!"

"But listen, you have to keep all this a secret, I don't want Gill to know I'm trying to get involved with he and Luna's relationship!" I urged.

A smile crept onto his lips. "Of course. I'm just glad to help a friend out."

I paused before walking out of the door way. "And…thank you." I told him before heading downstairs.

Determined to set the facts straight, I didn't catch all of his reply. He muttered something about 'having a bigger secret to keep'.

I quickly ran downstairs, and back into the bright sun to join everyone on the beach.

**Author's Note**: Hehe, do you know what Julius meant at the end? It's for you guys to interpret however you want. Review, please. =]


	9. Vacation : Day 1 part 2

**A/N:** Hi everyone! I'm back with the much-anticipated chapter. I will tell you now, the next few chapters are going to get more intense, so prepare for the horrible tension you are about to experience. Alrighty, enjoy. = D

Chapter 9

**Angela's P.O.V**.

When I walked back onto the beach, everyone was gathered near the shore. I jogged over to see what we were doing, when everyone lined up single file- boys on one side, girls on the other. I stepped into the guy's line, behind a beckoning Chase who was toward the back. Selena announced that we were randomly matched up with whoever was across from us. I glanced over to see who matched with. Guess who? Of course, it was Luna. I moaned. She grinned and waved at me.

_How am I supposed to distance her like this?_

"Okay everyone! We are going to play a series of games, and the winners get to pick what we do tomorrow!" Selena shouted.

I saw Chase paired with Maya and grinned. They were so cute together with their matching orange heads. I noticed several pairs secretly swapping partners so that they could be with who they liked. However, Luna was latched onto my arm, so I didn't think she was going anywhere.

"Hey Luna, do you want to switch someone so you can be with Gill?" I offered.

"What?! Are you trying to say you don't think I'm a good enough partner for you or something?" she glared up at me.

I sighed, "No, I just thought- " She interrupted me. "I'll have you know that I was the winner last year and I rock at these games!"

"Fine, fine. Let's um...let's win this!" I faked enthusiasm. How could I be pumped when Gill was leering at us again? I saw that he was paired with the quiet Candace, who didn't seem very hand-eye coordinated. Trying to suppress a giggle, even though it wasn't a laughing matter, I pitied him.

_Wait a minute. Aren't Candace and Julius supposed to be a pair? _

Looking around, I spotted him standing by a row of tiki torches, holding a stick with half of a coconut attached.

"Each of these torches represents a team. The last pair is eliminated. So if your flame goes out, you lose!" He explained. I guessed he was score-keeper.

"Okay everyone, the first game is the three-legged race! Everyone line up on the line in the sand and grab your sack!" Julius yelled.

We all took our place on the line, securing our legs in the sack.

"Now listen, Axel. The secret to this game is to start with the inner legs, then outer, then inner, and repeat!" Luna instructed.

"Start with outer, got it." I replied.

"NO! Axel, inn-" Luna was interrupted by an air horn.

"GO!"

We lunged forward, Luna starting with the inner, me with the outer. This didn't end well, sending us face-first into the sand. Luckily, we weren't the only group. Four others did the same thing. I smirked. Maybe I could mess up and make this work to my advantage. If she hated me for losing, she would back off, right?

"Come on Axel, we still have a chance!" Luna pulled me up and said, "Follow my lead- left foot, right foot-"

I started to do what she said, then the opposite. I really tried to make us lose, but that woman was determined. Somehow, we made second place. I looked over to see that Gill and Candace had actually worked well together, and managed to come in fourth. Toby and Renee came last, but didn't seem too disappointed. They were laughing together, sitting in the sand.

"Toby and Renee were eliminated, and Kathy and Owen came in first place!" Julius announced.

He placed the coconut over the tiki torch labeled, "Toby/Renee", putting the flame out. Everyone clapped and cheered.

"Geez, Axel, where was your head?! That's alright; we'll pull it together in the next game!" Luna placed her hand on my shoulder. She was hard to discourage, that was for sure. It made me think that had my life been normal, we would have been great friends.

The next game was one of trust- not such a good one for me and Luna. One of us had to be blind-folded, while the other guided them with the verbal directions, "Forward, Left, or Right." I volunteered to be blind-folded, since I knew I was naturally horrible at this game and didn't have to try to fail. We lined up once again and took our positions.

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

"Okay Axel, go forward!" Luna's voice whipped from directly in front of me. I wobbled forward. I hated not being able to see, it made me feel so helpless.

"You're swerving to the left, come right! RIGHT!" Luna yelled. My hands wavered around, trying to get a sense of direction.

"Okay, now come to the left, left...YOU'RE OTHER LEFT, AXEL!" Goddess, why did I suck so badly at this game?

"I'm trying!" I yelled back. I wondered how Gill was doing, and how much of an idiot I seemed to him.

"Forward, forward, right, FORWARD, FORWARD AXEL, just a little more!"

Just then, I heard cheering and felt a pair of arms shoot around my neck. Pulling the blind-fold off, I down to see that I had crossed the line! She had actually made us won!

"Wow, you did it..." I said. She beamed up at me, "I TOLD you I rocked at these games!"

It appeared that Gill and Candace weren't doing so well, due to Gill's snappy instructions and Candace's feelings being hurt by them. It looked like their torch was going out.

"Alright everyone, Axel and Luna are the winners! They will make it to the final round!" Julius smirked and put out Gill and Candace's torch.

I shuddered. Gill wouldn't be happy that we had beaten him. Daring to steal a glance over at him, I saw him offering a hand to Candace and lifting her up. I smiled at what a gentleman he was, despite losing. My smile quickly disappeared when he sent a cold look over in my direction, though. I thought I would try my luck at playing matchmaker again.

"Hey Luna, why don't you go cheer your sister up? I'm sure that would look really good to Gill." I suggested.

Seeming to consider Gill more than her sisters' feelings, she nodded.

"Okay, let's go!" She grabbed my hand and ran toward them.

"'Let's?'" I muttered.

Approaching them, she slapped Candace on the back, causing her to adjust her glasses. "Good job, Candy! Better luck next time!"

"Th-thanks... Although it was my fault we lost." Candace admitted. It was amazing how opposite the sisters' self esteem level was.

"That's okay, not everyone can have as great of a partner as Axel!" she bragged. I immediately saw what she was doing, and my eyes darted to Gill's scowl.

"B-but Gill did a good job, too! I heard his directions and they were very precise!" I threw in. His eyes widened. "In fact, he and Luna would probably work much better together than she and I." Scoorree!

They both seemed to blush slightly. "Well, maybe next time we will have a chance. Come on Axel, they are starting the bonfire! We'll meet you guys up there!" Luna said quickly, pulling me with her.

"But-!" I started. This was starting to seem impossible.

All too soon, it was dusk, and the bonfire soared high into the sky. What were they fueling that thing with? Chase spotted us and waved me down.

"Axel, come sit by us!" he shouted. Grateful to have someone else to talk to, I made Luna follow me to him.

"How has your first day of vacation been?" He asked me.

"It's been...fun, I guess. How is your partner?" I replied. He just stared.

"Besides the fact that she makes me want to drown myself, pretty decent. And yours?" He said blandly.

I laughed, "I can't say that mine is any better." We both chuckled.

"Everybody listen! We are going to begin the ghost-story contest! Whoever in each pair has the best story will share with everyone else, and everyone who has lost will judge!" Selena told us. We all took our places around the fire, Luke beginning.

"It was a dark, stormy night...and there were a bunch of people on a tropical island. Kind of similar to...this...one.." he tried to make dramatic pauses.

"Suddenly, they heard a noise in the bushes. They heard a moan saying, 'Ooooooo! I'm the ghost with the bloody finggerrrrr! OOOOOOO!!" I felt Luna grab my arm and sighed.

"Finally, they sent the bravest person they had to confront the bush. When he heard him say, 'I'm the ghost with the bloody finger', he waited, and waited..."

He paused, "And then..."

He paused even longer, then whispered, "He said, 'Hey man, need a ....BAND-AID?!'" He dropped over, rolling in laughter. Everyone was dead silent, not quite sure of how to react to that.

"What kind of ghost story was that?" Gill asked.

"A GOOD ONE, THAT'S WHAT!" Luke pointed at him, shouting.

Selena pushed him down, "Sit down, Luke. You already ruined our chances," she sighed. "Who's next?"

Owen volunteered, "I know a really scary one that will have you up all night!" Everyone squealed for him to go on.

I have to admit, for not being one for ghost stories, I was pretty spooked. He claimed his was a true story about Harmonica Town, which made it even scarier. It was something about two lovers, the husband having died from an illness. To this day, he still wandered the village at night, tapping on windows, searching for his love...

Just then, I felt fingers entwine with mine. Jumping slightly, I saw that Luna was holding my hand! While she did look legitimately frightened, it still wasn't good.

"L-Luna, your-" I started.

"Shhh! I want to hear the ending!" she hushed me.

I was starting to get extremely antsy. What if Gill saw? I answered my own question by looking up. The flames flickering in his eyes only added to the fury in his gaze. I blinked once, fear and guilt building up. He turned and stormed away from the bonfire, heading towards the inn.

_What should I do?! If I go after him, it will look suspicious... If I don't go, then what? _

Seeing as there was only one more story left, I decided to give him time to cool off before I approached him. I scraped Luna off of me, anyway. She didn't really seem to care, now that Gill wasn't around to make jealous.

Owen ended up winning the contest, to no surprise. Kathy and Owen had been the power-couple today, getting to decide the activity for tomorrow. They told us that tomorrow we would be hiking a trail to explore some cave on the island. While I wasn't a hiker, I was definitely grateful for any activity that avoided bathing suits and swimming.

When it was time to call it a night, Luna winked and waved goodbye. I quickly waved back, only caring about getting to my room. I passed by Julius, who gave me a sympathetic look.

"Good luck," he murmured as I walked past him.

"Thanks," I sighed, heading up the stairs.

My heart was beating a thousand miles per hour. How was I supposed to act- calm, concerned, apologetic? What would make him less mad at me? All I wanted now was to be his friend, if anything. Slowly turning the door knob, I entered, finding Gill writing at the little desk in the room.

"Hey," I offered a smile. He didn't look up.

"Hello." He replied, still writing. I scurried over to my things, collecting what I needed to get a shower.

"I'm uh- going to get a shower." I announced.

He said nothing. I shrugged and locked the bathroom door behind me. After a hot shower to collect my thoughts, I decided that being calm and still playing matchmaker would work best. I came out of the bathroom and sat on my bed, fluffing my pillow. Gill was now reading on his bed. I noted that he slept in a blue, cotton button up complete with pajama pants. I tried not to smile.

"So, um, Owen won the ghost story contest. His was pretty scary! Don't you think?" I asked him. He grunted.

"I was never really one for scary stories." he replied. Yes, I got more than two words out of him!

"Oh, yeah, me neither...they can be pretty lame...sometimes. But Lukes' was definitely the lamest!" I rattled on.

Gill slammed his book shut, causing me to jerk in surprise. He leered at me once again.

"Was this part of your plan? To befriend me so I wouldn't suspect it when you tried to steal Luna? You may have the rest of the town eating out of the palm of your hand, Mr. Coldwell, but not me!" He seethed.

I sat there, mouth agape. Is THAT what he thought?! He didn't even see what Luna was doing? How could he be so blind? Someone had to inform him.

"You really think I would try to take her from you?! For your information, she has been using every other guy on the island to make you jealous! But maybe you are so caught up with your own life that you can't see that for yourself!" I retorted back.

Anger grew on his features as it sank in. I suddenly regretted how that came out when he stood and walked over to my bed.

"You might think that you know me, and what is going on with my relationships, but you don't. So unless you want to regret ever coming to this island, I suggest that you back off." he bent down so that his face was level with mine, nearly inches away. He was so close; I could feel his breath on my lips.

Too shocked to reply, I simply averted my gaze from his piercing blue eyes.

"What, now you have nothing to say?" he asked.

"Sorry that I bothered to care about any of it." And at that point, I was. Look at the mess that caring had gotten me into. The first person I tried a little harder to connect with hated me.

He remained silent, seeming to be unsure of my response.

"Goodnight." I said weakly.

"...Goodnight." he answered.

I rolled over in my bed, wiping away any tears that had threatened to fall.

A/N: Please tell me what you thought. =] Thank you.


	10. Vacation: Day 2 part 1

A/N: These two chapters were going to be one, but I thought I would break it up into two so you would be more excited. So, here is the next chapter, enjoy and review!

Chapter 10

**Angela's P.O.V.**

My eyes squinted and were forced open by the sun's rays peeking through the curtain. I rolled over to look at the clock- it was 8:00. We had to be ready to start our hike at 10:00. This made me stretch happily- 8:00 was considered sleeping in for a farmer. Suddenly recalling everything from last night, I whipped my head around to find an empty bed next to mine. Everything was neatly made, even the comforter folded back near the pillows.

"_You might think that you know me, and what is going on with my relationships, but you don't. So unless you want to regret ever coming to this island, I suggest that you back off."_

I winced. So far, nothing was going right on this vacation. Luna was using me, Gill hated me, and I had about two minutes to relax. I really had no idea how today was going to go, let alone a plan. Getting out of bed, I quickly dressed, brushed my hair and teeth, and slid on my flip flops. Maybe some breakfast would start this day off on the right foot. Inns were known for having awesome complimentary breakfasts.

Walking downstairs, the mouth watering smell of sausage and eggs filled my nostrils. Did I ever mention that breakfast was my favorite meal of the day? I eagerly stepped up to the buffet line, grabbing some French toast and fresh fruit.

It seemed like everyone was still sleeping, because there were only a few people in the lobby. That's when I spotted Chase slouched over at a table alone. I wandered over to him with my tray.

"Rough night?" I asked, sitting across from him. He looked up from sipping on his orange juice.

"You could say that. Having Toby for a room mate prevents anyone from falling asleep! He snores SO LOUD, Axel!" Chase exclaimed.

He eyed me, "What about you? You don't look like you got such a good night's sleep either."

My eyes widened. Was my stress that apparent? I shrugged, "I'm just still trying to relax is all."

Chase's eyes narrowed on me. "If Gill is giving you any problems, you let me know and I'll-"

"Chase, it's fine, really. He's a fine room mate." I stopped him. I didn't need any one else stirring up trouble. Since Julius wasn't here to vent on, I thought about my situation and decided to present it to him.

"But Chase, I, uh, have something I want to ask you about," I started. I needed to make this as vague as possible so that I could still get his input and avoid him interfering.

His brows perked, and he looked at me with curiosity. "Okay, shoot."

**Chase's P.O.V.**

My eyes widened. Axel was coming to me with a problem? This was pretty big, so I didn't want to blow it. I wondered what it could be about.

"Okay, shoot." I told him.

"Well, I kind of have a, um, secret, sort of," Axel said. My heart quickened._ Is he telling me this because he is hinting at something?! Is the secret that he likes guys? Do __**I**__ even like guys?_ I shook my thoughts and kept listening.

"And not telling a certain someone about this secret is making them cause trouble for me," he continued.

"And who is this 'certain someone?'" I leaned on my elbow.

"I can't say, or it will give away the problem. And that's a secret right now too." He answered.

_That has to be the secret if he won't tell me who it is! It's so obvious! …Why am I so happy about this?_

I nodded, "Go on, then."

"Well, I have two options. If I tell them, I risk them telling the secret. But if I keep things the way they are, my relationships will go no where." My eyebrows furrowed when he said that.

_Why would I tell anyone about his sexual preference? Is he unsure if he can trust me?_

"Axel, you know that you can trust me. I would never tell a soul about your secret!" I urged. He seemed to have a sad look in his eyes.

"Maybe some day I will," My heart leaped at his words. _So there was hope!_

"Anyway, what do you think I should do? Is it worth risking?" Axel prodded me.

I sipped my orange juice in thought. "Of course it is! I say go for it. You will never know what may have happened if you don't say anything!" If this didn't do it, I didn't know what would.

Axel grinned and rose from his chair. "Okay, I will! I'm going to tell them when the time is right!" I looked expectantly, waiting to hear a confession or something. All he did was run over to me and give me a quick hug.

"Thank you, Chase! I knew I could count on you!" With that, he turned and ran back upstairs, leaving me staring after him.

"Wha-?" I gaped. That wasn't the secret?! I could have sworn with the way things were going…

I slammed my fist on the table, causing someone to put a newspaper down. Looking up, I saw Julius.

He leaned behind his chair and said, "You sir, give excellent advice."

I stared, puzzled._ Did he know the real situation? Why would he know and not me?_

"Whatever…" I murmured.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

_Chase was right, I can't let everyone else suffer just because I don't want someone to know my disguise. Gill didn't deserve this, and his hating me is ripping me apart._

I peeked into my room, just in case Gill was back. Not seeing him, I propped the door all of the way open, only to find the person I was just thinking about.

"L-Luna? What are you doing in here?" I asked. She sat on my bed, looking around.

"Where's Gill?" She asked me back. I shrugged, leaving the door open.

"I don't know. He's been gone all morning. Can I help you with something?" Being nosy, of course, I had to know what she wanted Gill for.

"Oh, nothing really important. Say! Why don't we all be in a group together for the hike today?" She suggested. I sighed and sat beside her on the bed.

"Luna, I don't know if that's such a good idea." I told her.

"But why not? Aren't you two friends?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Not really, no. And I don't want to mess up anything for you two, but I think I am." I admitted.

She suddenly got a flirtatious look in her eye. I tensed.

"Why would you think something like that? You know that I prefer you over Gill, so why fight over it?" She placed her hands on the bed and leaned more toward me on her arms.

_Oh, my God. Has her jealousy game really made her like me?!_

"Luna, listen, i-it wouldn't work out between us," I started. Why was it so hard to talk?

_Maybe because you have a girl hitting on you and it's extremely uncomfortable._

"Why not? I think we get along pretty well," she traced her finger down my chest and I froze.

"B-because…" I stuttered. I probably looked like such an idiot. Or worse, like she had the affect she wanted on me.

"Hehe. Because why, Axel?" she began leaning closer to my face. This was it, before something happened that I would forever regret.

_Just spit it out!_

**"BecauseI'mAGirl!**" I shouted and covered my mouth. She stared at me for a few seconds.

"What?" she said slowly.

"I said, 'I'm a girl,'" I exhaled, "A-and, I'm sorry about messing everything up with Gill…" Why were those tears threatening to come back?

She eyed me skeptically. "No you're not. Prove it."

My eyed bugged. She didn't believe that I was a female?!

I groaned, "You are really going to make me prove it?" She nodded with no hint of any joking around.

"Fine." I shrugged. I unbuttoned the top of my flannel, flashing her my binding vest. I watched her eyes pop wide open.

"OH MY GOD. I've been hitting on a girl!" she shrieked. I quickly grabbed her mouth to silence her.

"Shhh! Listen Luna, this is my deepest, darkest secret that you must swear to keep! If anyone finds out, I can't live on the island anymore!" I pleaded. 

_My other deepest, darkest secret, however, would ruin our friendship.._

She stared at me in shock, seeming to let everything sink in, then nodded. I took my hand off of her mouth.

"But why did you tell me if no one can know?" she asked.

"Because this thing with Gill was getting way out of control! He hates me because he thinks I'm trying to steal you from him! On top of that, you kept using me to make him jealous!" I vented on her. She looked down.

"I'm sorry about that. It's just…he never notices me as much when I don't make him angry! So, when I use other guys to get his attention, I actually get some sort of reaction out of him." She admitted.

"Luna, he does have some sort of feelings for you, that's why he hates me! Maybe you should just try to be yourself and focus your attention on him." I informed her. The whole situation was just frustrating; I didn't even care if I was giving my rival advice. _Just so he stops __**hating**__ me!_

Feeling mentally exhausted, I didn't even notice the tears form. Luna sat beside and patted my hand.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, and everything will be okay. I'm sure you have a lot of stress to deal with, so I will help you any way that I can!" she encouraged me.

_Yeah, but you don't realize that the tears are because of the same person you love… _

**Gill's P.O.V.**

I needed air. I felt like I was going to suffocate in that tiny hallway, with my heart pounding from the feeling of not being seen.

"_I'm a girl," _flashed through my mind on repeat. That was all I had needed to hear before turning around and walking back the way I had come.

_Damn it! How could I be so stupid to not pick up on it? _

I burst out of the inn's doors, walking to the pier and staring out into the water. Across the ocean was our little own Waffle Town.

This whole time she had been bringing all of that prosperity to the island, while it was against the island's culture to have a female own a farm! He would have to ask father what that stupid rule was about, anyway.

_I must have looked like such an idiot getting all worked up about Luna! She wasn't even trying to get her attention! And the way that I treated her…_

I shuddered. While I was known to be anti-social, never had I been raised to treat a lady in such a rude manner.

"_So, what are you going to do, Mr. Future Mayor? Will you go against tradition and morals just to bring profit to the island?" _My conscious asked me. I shook my head.

_I-it's not like that! As long as I pretend to not know, no harm can be done! _I answered my self.

I nodded inwardly. _That's right. As long as she is undiscovered, the island will continue to rise up and be successful._

_That's all that counts…right?_

**A/N:** Sorry it's a little shorter, but it was meant to be a continuation of the last one. Anyway, hope you liked it and pleaseeee share your thoughts about it! Thanks!


	11. Vacation: An Unfortunate Happening?

A/N: Yes, I am alive! Sorry for the long delay, I'm finishing my senior year of high school so it's been pretty hectic. But, no worries, I am still able to whip up a chapter here and there. They should start coming quicker now, so I apologize for the wait. I can't thank all of my reviewers enough, they constantly reminded me that people were reading and I couldn't just keep it in the back of my mind. So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!

A note to one of my reviewers (and anyone): Angela hasn't in fact 'fallen in love' with Gill yet, nor does she think she's in love. When she said about having tears for the same one Luna loves, it was more to indicate that LUNA loved him, not her. Just to clear that up!

Chapter 11

"_What should I call this feeling…?"_

**Angela's P.O.V**

"Ready, Axel- What is your real name, anyway?" Luna asked me.

I sniffled and wiped at my eyes, letting out a chuckle. "Angela. My brother's name is Axel."

"Okay, Angey! I'll only call you that when we're alone. Ready for this hike?" she grabbed my hand.

I smiled and nodded. I felt like a wave of relief had washed over me; like the pressure had been lifted even just a little. I liked having someone who I could share my secret with. It made me able to see Luna's true colors, which was really a sweet, trustworthy person. With my spirits a little higher, I felt like I could face Gill now. Maybe now since Luna wouldn't be all over me, he wouldn't be mad. I sighed, mentally crossing my fingers.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied.

We headed downstairs, immersing ourselves in the loud chatter on the beach. While some people were sunbathing, others were running around, forming groups for the hike. Looking around, I couldn't see Gill anywhere.

"Hmm, I wonder where Gill ran off to," Luna vocalized my thoughts, "If he's in our group, we'll win for sure!"

" 'Win'? I thought this was just a hike." I said, surprised. _Another competition?_

"Oh, no. There are marked trails that each team follows, and at the check points there are colored ribbons that each team grabs. The first team to the top of the mountain with all of the ribbons wins! Got it?" She answered.

I nodded, still a little confused, "And this was Kathy and Owen's idea?"

"Yep! They do it every year. But the trails can be a little dangerous, so we should get guys who know what they are doing on our team. Gill is smart and knows this island well, so we'll be set!" She explained.

I smiled, going along with what she said. In my head, however, were a million ways I could act around Gill to make things normal again. Were they ever normal with him?

"_They will never be 'normal', Angela…"_

Pale blonde hair pulled me out of my thoughts. I inhaled deeply, remembering to breathe.

"Gill! THERE you are! We wanted to ask you to be in our hiking group!" Luna exclaimed. I offered a weak smile, still feeling awkward.

He raised his eyebrows at Luna, seeming to contemplate it. His piercing, blue eyes then moved to me, and he nodded.

"Okay," he answered. I exhaled.

"_Now I have a whole day to make things better!" _I thought.

I figured he must not have hated me that much anymore if he was willing to hike with me all day. Just then, the peach head of none other than Chase popped up by Gill's shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Hey guys! Wanna be in a group? Okay, cool!" He said hurriedly. We all looked at him skeptically.

"What? I'm a good team mate! I rock at this game!" he paused as we stared at him, then sighed, "Okay, I needateamtogetmeawayfromMaya!"

"Hah! The truth comes out!" I pointed. Personally, I wouldn't mind having Chase in our group to break up the tension.

"But for good reason! She's been attached to my hip practically the whole time we've been here! We NEED time apart, or something bad is going to happen," he pleaded.

"Fine, fine. But, no more! We have a big group as it is," Luna replied.

I laughed nervously. It was a shame Chase didn't like Maya back, since they both liked food and all. Maya did seem a little off the tracks sometimes, though…

I glanced over at Gill, and saw his surprised expression when he looked away from me. Had he been staring at me? What was going on in that head of his? Was he staring out of anger, or something else?

"_You are a hard one to read, Mr. Gill Hamilton…"_

"Okay everyone! We are about to start the race to the top of the mountain. Does everyone have their bandanas?" Owen announced, standing in front of the trail entrance.

We all shouted random 'Yeah!'s and 'Yes's, waving our colored bandanas in the air. My team's color was purple, upon Luna's request. I tied mine around my neck, Gill's was on his arm, Chase's around his head, and Luna's worn like a headband.

Like everyone else, we did a team huddle thing to get pumped for the race, ours ending with a, "BOP TO THE TOP!" Needless to say, Gill wasn't too energetic with that one.

"See you guys at the top! An awesome prize awaits, so do your best! Remember to not drink all of your water at once, and don't get lost. On your mark…get set…GO!" With that, Owen snipped the string, Kathy waving a flag to the side. Everyone began running into the forest.

"Come on guys! We've got to get ahead in the beginning!" Luna yelled at us, sprinting with Chase right behind her. Some Native American Indian calls could be heard ringing through the trees. Clearly, it was already obvious who the competitive ones were. Gill shrugged at me and jogged to keep up with them.

_Here we go!_

**Gill's P.O.V.**

I hated this part of vacation. The hike was always the hottest, most tiring competition, and I was NOT the outdoorsy type. I swatted at a bug flying by my ear. Not to mention I had to make sure this idiot disguising herself as a boy didn't get caught. I was not about to let her ruin the island's prosperity and my chances of being handed down a successful position as mayor. But most importantly, the island's prosperity. I'm not as selfish as I seem.

I watched as she laughed carelessly with Chase further ahead of me. Why was he with us again? Oh, right, he was trying to escape from Maya. I didn't understand why he was trying to get away from someone who actually liked him. I had been trying all this time to get someone I liked to notice me because she liked someone who was a girl! Talk about twisted…

I was already getting pretty fed up with this situation, actually. I had to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't mess anything else up.

I broke from my thoughts when we all stopped moving.

"Break time everyone!" Luna shouted.

"Break? But we have to win! We- we have to get to the top- Before Maya finds us-" Chase said breathlessly.

"Oh, shush. You'll be fine. We can't risk anyone collapsing or getting injured because they didn't get to rest. Besides, we are already way ahead!" she retorted.

"Hey, there's a stream over here to cool off," Axel pointed. Come to think of it, I didn't know her real name…

Feeling rather hot, I decided splashing some water on my face would be a good idea.

"Don't go too far! The stream is outside of the trail markers and could be dangerous!" Chase warned. I rolled my eyes. It was a few meters around the corner.

"I think we'll manage," I turned as they began to sit and munch on trail mix.

I treaded over to the small stream with Axel and sat on a rock, watching her closely. She took off her bandana to let it air out a little, and cupped her hands in the crystal water to her face.

"Ahhh! That feels so good!" she exclaimed, "Um… are you enjoying the hike, Gill?"

I glanced over, "I'm indifferent. I think it'd kind of silly to be in a mad rush to finish a hiking trail, only to get coupons for free drinks at the Inn if you win."

Her eyes widened. "THAT'S the prize? They made it sound so great!"

I chuckled, "Yeah, it is great if you are Kathy or Owen and like to drink."

She stared off. "Hm… yeah, I suppose it's heartfelt because it's really something they enjoy, so it's a good prize."

I sweat dropped._"But she just made it sound like it wasn't…"_

"You're awfully thoughtful, aren't you?" I observed. She looked up at me with her large, doe eyes.

"I guess you could say that," she rose and walked along the stream, "Listen, uh, I'm sorry if we got off to a bad start. I don't mean to invade your territory or anything. I mean, with Luna. We talked and she isn't um...interested in me."

I tilted my head and contemplated what to say next. Thinking about the situation and how I acted, it all seemed quite silly. Axel was being serious though, and I didn't want to give anything away by laughing.

"It's, uh- don't worry about it," Thinking quickly of something a guy would do in this situation, I ruffled his hair to lighten the situation. What an idiot I was.

She immediately looked shocked and placed a step backward. "Really? That's a-" My brows furrowed as I waited for her to finish. However, she didn't, because she started falling backward. She lost her footing and began falling down the rather large embankment.

"Ah-!"

My breath caught in my throat.

"!"

My mouth agape, I grabbed on to her shirt in a feeble attempt to stop her. Being my not-so-muscular- self, however, I fell right along with her. The only thing I could think to do was hug her to break her fall. And that I did.

Down we rolled, coming dangerously close to the small waterfall that the stream branched in to. My head smacked against numerous branches and pointy plants, meanwhile I kept Axel's head tucked down. We landed with a loud, "Oomph!" at the base of the cliff, having very little room before another long fall.

Trying not to panic, I rolled us as close to the edge of the wall as I could, letting Axel go. As far as I could see, I received most of the bruising. I sat at her feet and called to her.

"Axel, Axel! Can you hear me?" No response.

"_Damn it. This is all my fault!But if she wouldn't have gotten so surprised-!"_

I felt her pulse on her neck and wrist. It was still there. What was the next step I learned in that first aid class years ago? Check for swelling?

I inspected her arms and head, finding no swelling. Looking further down her body, my face literally turned beet red. Skipping any awkward places, I checked her ankles, only to have her jerk when I touched the left one. She then let out a loud groan and her brown eyes met mine.

"Gill?Wha- what happened? Where are we? Oh my God, your face!" Axel sat up, only to wince.

"Don't worry about me, I just got a few scrapes. You stumbled backward and brought me with you. While doing so, it looks like you sprained your ankle," I replied calmly.

"Oh, I see. I'm so sorry- it's all my fault, I-" I quickly hushed her from giving me a bigger headache.

"Axel, calm down. I know it's a sudden situation-" I started.

"OH MY GOSH, WE ARE HIGH UP! Do you see how little this ledge is? What are we going to do? HELP! Yell with me, Gill! HELLPPPP!" Axel shouted.

"AXEL- You need to remain calm. Any sudden movements could cause one of us to lose balance. Now, give me your bandanna," I ordered. She gave me a funny look and handed it to me.

"I'm going to have to wrap your ankle, so it might hurt a little, okay?" I gingerly placed her ankle on my lap and began to tie the cloth around it.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

"Okay," I peeped. What was he doing? Was Gill Hamilton; who despised me a few hours ago; wrapping my sprained ankle? If my ankle didn't hurt so much, I would have questioned this all being real. The way he handled me so fragilely made me feel like a girl again. I blushed at the thought of him taking care of me in any way.

"What?" He asked, making me look up at him. I'd never let him know how much I admired his piercing, blue eyes.

"Just, uh, thanks for wrapping my leg. And for taking a hit for me. I thought you would have just let me fall." I half joked. Sort of. He was silent for a few moments, intent on tying the bandanna.

_Good job, moron. Way to make it awkward again. _

Just as I opened my mouth to say something else, he spoke.

"I was going to explain before we fell. It would be foolish of me to let a girl get in the way of my relationships that could better the island. You've already contributed a lot more than most of the other townspeople have. I guess I admire you're ambition," he shrugged, "There, all finished."

I blinked. "Well, thank you. I admire yours, too." _When it's ambition and not cockiness._

He gave me a surprised look. "You do?"

"Well sure! Just because you can be stiff sometimes doesn't mean it's any less admirable!" I teased.

His features turned into ones of serious curiosity. "Do you really think I'm too stiff?"

I couldn't suppress a laugh. The interest was just too adorable. "Hmm. Tea and ambition, then," I commented.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked casually, sitting with his back against the ledge.

"Those are two things we have in common. We both like tea and we both have ambition," I explained. I couldn't read his expression then.

He turned his head, but he couldn't hide his smile from me.

"If you ever…you know, need a hand if you lose some ambition, I can help," he muttered. I almost didn't understand what he said. When I did, I could hardly believe it any way.

"Well thanks… I appreciate that. Does that offer apply if I need tea as well?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You know my father is always thrilled to have people for tea."

I stared for a while after that. People look so much better when they smile. It really does wonders for one's looks. Gill was no exception.

"The others should be wondering where we are right about now," Gill noted.

I nodded. How long had we been gone, anyway? An hour, a few hours? It felt like a day.

"They have to be here somewhere! Where else could they have gone? AXEL! GILL! WHERE ARE YOU?" Chase's voice rang above the cliff. How did I know he would be the one to come find me?

"WE'RE DOWN HERE!" Gill shouted back. A peach and purple dot popped over the edge, looking down at us.

"GILL! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? OH MY GOD!" Luna shrieked. Gill sighed.

"I'm fine! Axel just has a sprained ankle! Could you get the climbing rope and toss it down?" He replied. Luna disappeared for a second, and quickly reappeared, tossing a harness down.

"Do you know how to put these on?" Gill asked me. I nodded. I was more experienced with the outdoors than one would think. Clutching Gill's shoulder, I stepped carefully into the legholes and fastened the clip around my waist.

"Oh, and Gill," He looked at me questioningly, "You should smile more. It makes you look less stiff."

I tugged on the rope, signaling them to start pulling me up.

"See you up there!" I waved at Gill and ascended up the cliff.

**Gill's P.O.V.**

"You should smile more. It makes you look less stiff."

I really didn't know what to say to that comment. Should I have taken it as a compliment or an insult? I figured she meant it simply as advice, so I smiled back.

As I awaited the harness to come back down, I felt all of my thoughts hit me at once. Was it because she temporarily left my presence?

_I was so scared when she didn't respond to me. She could have died because of my stupid actions. The Goddess Tree would never have been restored. You could have failed as mayor. _

_No. More importantly, never seen her smile again._

Which was I more concerned about? Why was I even having these conflicts? It baffled me. I was Gill Hamilton; I was certain of everything. However, she made me uncertain, and I didn't like that.

I tugged the rope and let them lead me to the top, where my team awaited.

_What should I call this feeling...?_

A/N: Please review guys, I hope I didn't leave too big of a cliffhanger. I have events planned leading up to another, I'm just figuring out how to plan them out. That determines when the next chapter will be. It's summer vacation though, so it will be soon! Thanks again!


	12. Vacation: Enough is Enough

A/N: Hi everyone! This is Kohana with the next chapter- sorry for the wait. I just started college and am very busy! But of course, I had to get this chapter up. It's going to get good, so stick around! =] Thanks again for all the reviews, you guys are the best.

Chapter 12- Enough is Enough

**Angela's P.O.V.**

"Axel, are you alright? You- you could have died!" Chase blubbered. He was beside himself. I kindly patted his shoulder.

"I'm okay! Really! Gill took the hit of the fall," I explained. Everyone looked at Gill, and I suddenly felt guilty for the bruises on his face.

"Gill! You're bleeding!" Luna gasped and pulled off her handkerchief. She began to dab at a cut he had above his forehead.

"Oh, I am? I'm fine, really," he stuttered.

"No you're not! Come here!" She wet the cloth with her saliva and continued the dabbing motion.

"What are you- did you just SPIT on that?" Gill swatted her hand away.

I, on the other hand, was sitting on a rock, resting my ankle. I couldn't help but chuckle at him freaking out. Luna was like a mother hen to everyone. There was also someone similar who wasn't even qualified to be a 'mother'…

"Well Axel, it looks like I'm going to have to carry you the rest of the way. We are just around the bend from finishing." Chase stated, standing up and walking toward me.

"Wha- It's okay, I can walk! See?" I got up to demonstrate, failing miserably. Chase caught my arm and slumped it over his shoulder.

"Clearly. Get on my back," he instructed. Just as I was about to climb on, Gill spoke.

"I'll carry him." He walked over and couched down. I stood there staring at two men that any other girl would easily be dazzled by, befuddled at what to do next.

"Gill, you just fell off a cliff. I'll carry Axel!" Chase exclaimed. Uh oh.

They were now facing each other. "I said, I can do it. I was the whole reason it happened, so it's my responsibility. We're almost there anyway," He looked at me, "Get on."

I nodded quickly and climbed onto his back, latching on to his shoulders. Talk about awkward.

"You want to help him? Carrying his backpack would contribute to the cause," Gill added.

Chase pondered it for a few moments, trying to uphold his stern face at Gill. He shrugged and grabbed my bag.

"….Fine."

I gazed at Gill with wonder. _Why is he being so protective? This is kind of nice, anyway…_

Chase and Luna silently followed, not really sure how to react. I was lulled by the steady steps of Gill, and tried not to doze off.

As we continued on the trail, I still had a hard time believing what had just happened. One, I had just fallen down a cliff and almost died; two, and more unbelievably, Gill had saved me.

_So… I guess we are made up now. If he really wanted me gone, then would have been the time to let it happen. _

I blushed upon recollecting everything that happened. Not only did he wrap my ankle, but I said he looked better when he smiled! He was so gentle, yet strong…

_Oh no! What if I overstepped my boundaries? What if that was too 'weird' for guys to say that to each other? _

Just as I began panicking, my carrier jerked me out of my thoughts. He had come to a halt.

"We made it!" Luna shouted. I looked ahead, and sure enough, most of the large group had arrived at the top. Not surprisingly, we hadn't made it to the top first. Phoebe and Calvin's team basked in the glory of having free drinks at the bar when we returned. (A/N: I mentioned Phoebe and Calvin as mentioned by a reviewer! =D) However, we were not last, miraculously! It was Julius' team trailing behind like slugs that finally finished. They appeared to not have even broken a sweat. Probably because he didn't want to mess up his hair or outfit by rushing.

"Great job everyone! I hope you feel accomplished in climbing the tallest point of this island, Mt. Cream Puff! (A/N: I had to pick a silly dessert name XD)" Kathy shouted from her perch on a tree stump.

_Sure, but at what cost…? _ I scoffed, looking at my wrapped ankle. My ankle, wrapped by Gill…

"Luckily for you, there is a hot spring resort at the top of this mountain waiting just around the corner!" Owen added, "Free of charge for the night! Everyone enjoy your last night of vacation!" Everyone hooted and hollered after hearing that. My knees almost went weak at the thought of a wonderfully, steaming hot bath to wash away the mess of today.

Thankfully, the rooms were organized by boys and girls, where all of the males slept in one room on tatami mats and the females in another. This prevented any more awkward situations with Gill until absolutely necessary. I thanked him after jumping off of his back.

"Hey, Axel…" he started. I turned to look at him. I couldn't read the look on his face, besides his eye brows being furrowed. "Be uh, you know, careful tonight. We don't want another accident that happened like today, right?" he finished. I nodded dumbly. He must have thought I was a real klutz.

_Hah! Because you've never given him reason to think that! Riiight…_

**Chase's P.O.V.**

What was with Gill Hamilton? Ever since they started hiking, he had been overly protective of Axel, and frankly it was frustrating me. Who did he think he was? What right did he have to Axel that I didn't?

_What if they are … secret lovers? It couldn't be…_

My mind reeled this possibility over and over, until I eventually came to the conclusion that Gill certainly wasn't gay, because he had shown interest in Luna. Why hadn't I seen that interest lately, though?

"Axel! Your ankle needs medical attention. Where's Jin?" I scoped the crowd for the black-haired doctor, quickly spotting him near Julius.

"Chase, really, I don't want to make a big deal or anything…" he replied.

"Nonsense, you need that looked at so it doesn't get worse. I'll be right back." I informed Axel.

Jin and Julius appeared to be in deep conversation, so I politely tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but Axel fell and has done something to his ankle, I think you should check it out." I stated empathetically. Jin's eyebrows raised.

"You don't say. Now he is spraining his ankle, is he? What will be next?" He threw a look at Julius, whom only smirked in return. This lead me to believe that something strange was up. Since when were Jin and Julius remotely close?

"Let me have a look here," Jin said as he bent down to touch Axel's slender ankle. He let out a whimper upon Jin touching a certain spot.

"Tsk, tsk. It looks like you have a sprain. I'm not even going to ask what you did, but I advise you to give it a nice, long soak in the hot spring tonight, preferably later so there aren't people to, bump into it," – he emphasized 'bump into it'- "and you can come see me tomorrow after we return to Waffle Town, okay?" he instructed. Axel obediently nodded his head in understanding.

I nodded as well. I would make sure Axel's ankle healed back to its' fullest potential, and no one would get in my way of spending quality time with him.

"Chasey-pie! You made it too~!" Maya's shrill voice pierced my ears. She quickly clamped on to me with a grip so tight, I'm pretty sure the jaws of life couldn't have even removed it.

_Why, if there is a God, does this always happen to me?_

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I could tell Doctor Jin wasn't happy with me spraining my ankle. After all, he had promised to keep my secret, as long as I didn't tell anyone he was in on it, and his job was secure. I felt like an inconvenience each time I needed his assistance. As far as I knew, he and Luna were the only ones who I had told. But, did they both know that the other knew?

_Geez, Angela. Keep the cat in the bag before you really can't keep your facts straight…_

This was turning into one big mess. Each day was a battle for my identity, and I felt like I was getting closer and closer to just cutting it. I couldn't give up, though. I had to just make it through one year, then everything would go back to normal. What was normal, again?

"Axel, I'm going to go with the girls to the hot springs. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?" Luna lightly touched my arm.

"I will, thanks a bunch, Luna." I replied whole-heartedly. I couldn't be more grateful for any other female to know my secret.

_What happens when she and Gill are finally together and you have to sit back and watch? What about when she notices that you have feelings for him, too? What if things get ugly? _

I sighed, hoping it wouldn't come to that. It was true that she could very easily blackmail me, but I prayed it would never come to that.

Looking around, I noticed the sun had set, making it at least 9 P.M. I relaxed on a rock overlooking the whole island. I had to say that it was quite a sight, and made the hard work all the more worth it.

I quietly waited for the male hot spring to be clear, which unfortunately took a few hours. It had to have been going on midnight until I finally had it all to myself. I slipped into the huge bedroom, filled with the sleeping bags of the male hikers. Several were still awake, Gill included. However, all of them had their nice, crisp white kimonos on, meaning they had all bathed and were finished.

"Hey, Axel, there you are! Are you just now getting in?" Luke had to ask me.

I meekly nodded, "Oh, yeah! I just got preoccupied outside, you know, with nature and all, so I'll just be going in now, hahh."

He stared at me for a moment, mentally making me feel exposed to everyone in the room, before smiling in his lop-sided way, "Okay, then, have fun!"

I smiled and nodded, turning to walk away, when Gill added something.

"Axel, there is a smaller spring in the back with special herbs that would do your ankle well," he barely looked up from his journal as he told me this.

I nodded, "That's great, thank you for the heads up!" With that, I walked down the hall, following the signs to the 'Healing Room'.

When I walked into the steamy oasis, I immediately let out a sigh of relief. It smelt wonderfully of relaxing lavender and chamomile. I checked the hallway and room, making sure no one was present so I could safely strip off my clothing. When I submerged my aching body into the water, I let the scents consume me and make me feel like I was in a giant tea cup.

"Ahhh… this is JUST what I needed!" I rested my foot on a step in the bath and sunk deeper into the water, letting myself slip into complete bliss.

That is, until someone decided to walk down the hall way. I could hear the footsteps coming closer at a rapid pace. Why was someone coming here? I wasn't sure if I wanted it to be a male or female. Nevertheless, to brace myself, I turned from the door, pointing my back towards it and sunk as low as I could.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing the voice of none other than Chase, carrying a towel.

_OhmyGod. PLEASE don't tell me he wants to get a bath, too!_

"Axel, you forgot your towel outside the hot spring rooms and I wanted to make sure your ankle felt oka- ah… Axel? Are you okay?" He stood at the doorway, squinting.

Fortunately, the water was a milky consistency, making it extremely cloudy.

"YES, Chase! Thank you, just leave it there please!" I remained low, praying in my head that he would go away.

"Uh- o-okay well um…see ya!" he stuttered, slamming the door behind him quickly. I relaxed my muscles and sat back normally.

_Now, THAT was a close one! Please don't let him have seen anything! Oh my God…_

**Chase's P.O.V.**

I sunk down to the floor, my back still against the door. Placing my hand over my chest, my heart was still pounding a mile a minute. I couldn't fathom what I had just seen.

_I didn't expect him to be IN the bath already! Oh, God… what I saw, though.._

_The nape of that neck, the smooth shoulders, the petite frame… It was all Axel, and yet…_

A drop of dark red blood dripped onto my spotless, white kimono. Was that symbolic somehow? I placed my hand over my nose and pinched the bridge of it, looking up and closing my eyes.

Closing my eyes in emotional weariness, and disgust in myself.

_I confirmed it. Despite everything, my feelings for Axel still remain. Chase Cook must, in fact, like men. Oh mother, wouldn't you be proud? Your only son moved far away from home to be one of the best chefs in the world, and ends up gay. I can't give you grandchildren; I can't repopulate the earth because of my feelings for a MALE. I've denied it long enough, and have gotten nowhere. So, here it is, the final truth, bursting forth for my conscience to hear. I am in love with Axel Coldwell._

_

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_

A/N: Thanks for reading, sorry if it was a little bland, I just needed to finally connect into the next idea and this part needed finished up. So please, please review to keep me going! =]


	13. Knowing

A/N: ****PLEASE READ!**** Hey everyone, I just have a few** announcements** to commence this chapter, so bear with me!

-First, thank you so much for the reviews. This story has finally broken 100 reviews! I can't thank you all enough. Just for that, I am going to make this chapter a little longer. ; ]

-Also, if you head over to the forums, I made one for you guys to discuss the oh-so-debatable topic of whether or not you think Chase is gay! Just something for kicks. You can go here to check it out. **(take the spaces out) **

www. fan fiction . net /forum/Taking_on_the_Farm_With_a_Twist_Is_Chase_Really_G/80261/

-My editor has also made the first ever fan art for my story! Check out her wallpaper at http:/ / victoriakissel. deviant art .com/#/d2z9hl5

If you would like to submit anything as well, I will set something up to display it! =] Just message me or put it in your review that you're interested.

-I would also like to point out that I am aware that someone else has made a Gill story that involves a girl disguising herself as a guy, and thank them for acknowledging my story. Our stories have different settings and like I said, countless works involve girls dressing as guys. (Fun fact: it's originally from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night) So there are no hard feelings! I encourage you to read hers to compare the two.

Anyway, without further ado, on with the story! Enjoy!

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**Chapter 13 – Knowing  
**

**Angela's P.O.V.**

After an eventful bath, - that might I add, did nothing to calm my nerves-I changed into my vest, pajama pants, and baggy t-shirt. I thought the nice, fluffy white kimonos everyone else was wearing might be too form-fitting. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially after what had just happened with Chase.

_You idiot! How could you have forgotten your TOWEL? That's the most important thing you bring when you take a bath!_

I bit my nail. I hoped, no, prayed, that Chase hadn't seen anything. I thought the mist and cloudy water had concealed enough…

Putting my brave face on, I headed out the door; my feet pit-patting against the smooth, wooden floors. I would just play it cool, and act like nothing had happened. However, walking into the large, communal bedroom immediately eliminated any faith I had in myself. Everyone had wide eyed expressions staring straight at me as I stood in the door way.

"Uh, h-hey. What's going on?" I stuttered.

Owen was the first to speak. "Axel, what did you do to Chase? All he did was bring you a towel!"

I sighed in relief that he called me by my male name, then gave a puzzled expression.

"Yes, he did. What happened?" I tilted my head, obviously unaware of what occurred after ward. Had he made a scene or something?

"I don't know. He was all red in the face and then stormed out, but it's okay. Gill went after him!" Luke chimed in. They were all seated around a table playing a card game of some sort.

My heart dropped. "G-Gill followed him? Why?"

"Yeah, we were wondering that too, usually he would blow something like that off, but he excused himself from the game and just left," Luke replied.

"Axel, why don't you pick up Gill's hand and play with us? I'm sure Chase will return soon," Julius offered, eying me carefully. I shook my head.

"Maybe later, I have to go find them! Thanks!" I answered, rushing down the hallway.

_This is bad. This is __**really**__ bad! What if he found out, and tells Gill? I need to find Chase before Gill does so I can keep him quiet!_

**Gill's P.O.V.**

As soon as I saw him rush out of the room, I knew something had happened. Why had I let _him_ give her that towel?

"Gill, you're turn. How much do you want to bet?" I faintly heard Calvin ask me. However, my mind was completely out the window, following Chase. I laid down my hand, and stood up. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Jin asked. I looked at him. He knew about Axel, too, and was as antsy as I was.

"I'm following Chase to see what's wrong. Keep playing without me," I answered, slipping on my sandals at the door and quickly leaving.

"Well, he had a sweet hand," I heard Luke say as I walked down the stairs.

The night air had a faint coolness to it, signaling that fall would be on its' way soon. The fireflies were still floating about, enjoying the season while they could. What day was it, anyway? It had to be close to September… This certainly had been an eventful season, all thanks to a particular farmer.

_Angela…_

She was something else- bold enough to challenge me and also to befriend me. Somehow, she was just different from everyone else on this island. Perhaps it was that she saw a certain gleam in everyone…

I felt myself smirk and caught myself grinning. What was wrong with me? I quickly wiped it off of my face. If Chase found out her true sex just now, my island could be in serious trouble. It was strange how she had managed to bring so much to the island, yet held its' destruction in her very identity.

I finally spotted a figure sitting on a log along the beach. I had to squint in the darkness to see that it was Chase, his head craning toward the sky. Gazing up, I observed that it really was a beautifully clear night. My footsteps were silent in the sand, so he hadn't sensed my presence yet.

I walked a little closer until I was standing beside him, and put my hands in my pockets.

"Hey, you alright?" I asked lightly. He continued to gaze away, into the ocean.

"Gill, let me ask you something. I know we haven't spoken too much in the past," he started. I looked at him, and raised an eyebrow.

"Have you ever loved something you weren't supposed to?" he looked up at my puzzled face.

"I don't know, you mean like junk food or something?" He usually referred to food, anyway.

"What? No, something…dangerous. Something completely against what you always knew- something totally against tradition," He went on. Where was he going with this?

My eyes widened. Why had she popped into my mind when he said that? _He_ was obviously referring to her, but why had_ I_ been reminded of her? Had he figured everything out just now? Was he referring to loving a girl he wasn't supposed to? My increased rate of breathing kept me from replying.

"What are you-" I started, but couldn't finish. "I love someone I can't, Gill! I can't take it anymore! If I hold it in any longer I- I think I'll-" It was my turn to cut him off.

"Chase, calm down. It can't be that bad. I'm sure it's something that can be worked out," I offered.

"I think I'm gay, Gill. I- I feel things that I shouldn't for Axel-!" he stuttered. He literally looked sick.

My eyes widened, "Uh- okay, so maybe it is bad." What was I supposed to say? He placed his face in his hands.

_So, he has feelings for her, too. But he hasn't caught on that she is in fact, a 'she'? _

Part of me felt horrible for what he was going through, but I just couldn't tell him the truth.

"Chase, you're- you're not gay," I muttered. How could I even begin to ease his mind?

"You don't have to deny it, Gill. I couldn't believe it either, but now I accept it. And now that I have, I feel so much better," he explained. I put my hands on his shoulders.

"Chase, listen to me! You are NOT-"

"I said I am, and I meant it, Gill! You don't have to be rude about it!" he countered.

I gnawed my bottom lip. I wasn't sure if I was grateful for what happened next or not.

"There you two are! Is um, everything okay?" I choked on any words to say when I saw her walk down the pier steps.

"Axel! H-how much did you hear?" Chase asked.

"Well, nothing. Just the ocean waves, heh," she replied. Wrapping her arms and hugging herself, she looked adorable in her pajamas. Where had _THAT_ come from?

"Chase, I'm sorry if I startled you when you brought me my towel. But uh, is everything okay now?" she asked once more. Chase looked down at her, eyes reeling. I was extremely on the edge for what he was capable of doing in his distressed state of mind. I edged closer to her without trying.

"Everything is great, Axel. I realized something tonight that I want you to know, because I can't hide it anymore!" he turned to directly face her. Her eyes flew to mine, clearly terrified. She most likely thought that we had both discovered her secret.

"O-okay. Chase, I can explain!" She exclaimed.

"Axel, you don't have to, because I'm in love with you! Ever since I met you, I've been attracted to you, and I don't care about our gender anymore! I just… wanted you to know that. If you ever need anything, you can count on me!" He vented. I placed my forehead in my hand.

There were a few moments of silence then- only the wind and waves whirling in the background, between the three of us. We formed a confused, deceptive, emotional triangle. For some reason, my blood was starting to boil from his stupidity, let alone watching him cause her discomfort like this.

"Chase, I um, don't know what to say. I'm afraid that I can't return your feelings right now…" Axel said slowly. I looked up from my hand.

Chase nodded. "It's okay, because I'll always be here waiting for you!" he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently while gazing at her intently. With that, he turned and left us there.

I continued to tap my chin with my finger, standing still as I watched him make his way up the shore. I observed Angela's form standing a few feet from me. She was looking at the ground, clearly still a bit shaken.

"Well. That was interesting," I commented bemusedly. She nodded slightly. "Are you alright, Axel?" I lowered my gaze to hers. Apparently, she wasn't. Her dewy eyes of honey met mine, sending a rush through me that was stronger than the wind. A single tear ran down her face.

"This whole time, Chase had been suffering because of me. I'm causing so much stress for everyone on this island when they don't deserve it, even you and your bruises-" She let out a light sob. Had she really been holding all that frustration in? I watched her, mouth agape.

"M-maybe my being here is causing more trouble than good, " she sniffled.

"It's not," I replied. She looked up at me again.

"How do you know?" she asked in a frustrated tone.

"Because I said so!" I answered back, reflecting her tone. That didn't seem to help very much, based on her discouraged look and how she dropped her head again.

I simply couldn't accept that. I stood in front of her and brought her head toward my shoulder with my hand.

"Because I said so," I offered a little more gently. Her stance relaxed against me, and she let out a few more sniffles on my shirt.

"Th-thank you," she muttered. I smiled and looked up once more, to the distant, shimmering balls of gases and reactions miraculously burning above us.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

Finally, we had arrived back to our humble, little Waffle Island. While our mini-vacation had been fun, I was glad to be back in my normal, safe routine. I was welcomed home by my animals' face nudges and a harvest of summer crops ready to go. It was about three in the afternoon when I finished my chores, so I decided to visit Doctor Jin like I had promised. While I could walk on my ankle now, I still couldn't run or I would limp. I sighed as I slowly walked along the path to town. Leave it to me to fall off a cliff on vacation.

The last few days all blurred together with all of the drama that happened. From Luna finding out my secret to Chase confessing his feelings to me, not to mention my little break down in front of Gill... I had to admit, I felt a tad bit of emotional weariness.

When I finally made it to the office, it was already becoming dark. This was due to my depressing realization that it was the end of Summer, and I had to walk very, very slowly. The black and white sign boldly read "CLOSED" on the door. It was still swaying, so I knew someone had just moved it. I smacked my fist on the door a little harder than intended in my defeat. This caused Irene to notice me standing there, and she opened the door slightly.

"Is it an emergency? We're closing, dear," She asked me.

"Is an emotional break down an emergency?" I asked back. I heard Doctor Jin's voice in the background.

"Let her in, Irene. You can go home," he sighed. She nodded and opened the door fully for me to walk in. Leaning in his swirly chair, his white coat and thinly-lined glasses made him look extra studious.

I'll admit that I felt bad for coming right when they were closing, but I hadn't walked all this way for nothing. I at least wanted to know how my ankle was. Doctor Jin beckoned me to sit across from his desk in a plump, black chair. I graciously accepted and relaxed my body against the form of the frame.

"So, Axel, how has your health been?" He asked, nodding to Irene as she closed the door, taking her leave. He continued to stack a few random papers together.

"Besides falling off of a cliff, nearly escaping death, and a season full of drama, I'd say fairly well," I breathed. He smirked at that.

"You are quite lucky that a sprained ankle is all you left with. Thank goodness Gill was there to catch your fall, hm?" He lowered his glasses on his nose, "Place your foot up here." He instructed. I blushed when he mentioned Gill, but nodded and placed it on a foot rest in front of him.

"Yeah…" I replied, not making eye contact. I thought about what I had talked to Gill about the other night on the beach and chewed the inside of my lip.

"Jin, why do you do this for me?" I asked curiously.

He chuckled lightly, "Why do we do half the things we do, my dear? One never knows…" I rolled my eyes and shrugged. Definitely avoided the answer to that. His next sentence startled me.

"You know, we are really proud of you," he commented, pushing my pant leg up slightly and gently squeezed around my ankle with two fingers. Thankfully, nothing hurt anymore when he touched it.

I raised my eyebrows, "You are proud of _me_, or Axel?" I retorted slyly. He looked quite shocked at my response, remaining silent as he examined my ankle further. We both shook slightly when the door burst open, and I had to contain myself from letting out a scream at the suddenness of it.

"BUT CAN SHE DANCE?" Julius' voice rang throughout the small hospital. I turned my wide eyes to the doorway, where he stood, pointing at me. My head did a few 180 degree turns, between Jin and Julius. I decided then to shoot an accusing look at Jin first.

"You told?" I mouthed to him. He quickly shook his head in defense, squeezing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"W-what are you talking about?" I dealt him my classic line of defense. Just like all the other times, it didn't do me any good. Julius gracefully pranced over to us, placing his hands on the back of my chair.

"Please, my dear, I can read you like an open book. It's nothing to be ashamed of! I simply have a natural talent to, one could say, 'read' people better than most," he gleefully informed me, accompanied with hand motions. I was too shocked to reply.

_He knew this whole time?_

"Such a cute face," he touched my chin with his two fingers, automatically making me jerk my head away. I scowled at him.

"Julius," Jin said darkly.

"And such a romantic twist of fate!" he dramatically put his hand on his forehead, as to swoon.

I furrowed my brows at him, "What?" He was starting to piss me off. This wasn't exactly a joke.

"Why such a sour face? I am not meaning you any harm, silly. You're secret is safe with me!" he pretended to zip his mouth shut. I turned to Jin to confirm that Julius could in fact, keep the secret. He solemnly nodded at me.

"More importantly, can she dance, doctor?" His immediately turned his tone to a serious one.

"Yes, I think she will be just fine for the ball," he answered tiredly.

"What ball?" My gaze shifted back to Julius.

"Why, the Autumn Masquerade Ball, of course! I'm thinking a nice plum color for you," Julius exclaimed.

"Plum? For what?" I asked. He was starting to intrigue me now.

"Your dress, pumpkin! You must let me fix you up!" He explained. Had he really just called me 'pumpkin'? I gawked at him, mentally laughing.

_Me? Dress?_ Those two words seemed too foreign put together.

"Wait wait wait, Julius, I can't-" I started.

"Of COURSE you can. You deserve one night to be yourself. Being a male for so long can have permanent psychological effects!" he interrupted.

I contemplated that statement. "I'll second that, but still. I kind of can't let anyone know that I'm a girl, remember?" Man, did he have a thick skull.

"But you see, that's where you are confused, love. The theme of a 'masquerade' prevents anyone from knowing any such thing," he grinned mischievously. I let out an 'ohhh.'

Breaking it down, it didn't seem so bad. To have one night to simply be, well, a female, would be like a dream.

_Maybe I could give a normal impression to Gill…_

"So, what do you say? We have three weeks to get everything ready," Julius outstretched his hand to me. Jin observed intently from afar.

I took his hand and shook it, standing up. "Why not? One night can't hurt anything, as long as no one knows who I am."

"Wonderful! You won't regret this! Now… how to get Luna to make you a dress…" He pondered.

"She um…knows too," I admitted. Geez, the numbers were racking up…

"Oh, even better! I'll have her get your measurements next weekend!" He clapped his hands together.

"Okay. I have to go, but um, thanks, I guess," I moved toward the door.

"It is my pleasure," he bowed slightly.

"Oh," I turned, "And if any of this gets out, your head is mine," I warned. His smile widened.

"Heh, no worries!" He waved his hands in front of him. I nodded and thanked Doctor Jin as I left.

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Jin watched as Julius relished in his own personal triumph.

"As always, you have to be the hopeless romantic," he noted. Julius crossed his arms, turning to Jin.

"Have you ever known me to fail at my endeavors? This is simply an opportunity too good to pass up," He replied smoothly.

"_I just hope it stays that way,"_ Jin thought grimly.

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A/N: So, that's it! Let me know what you think. I hope it wasn't too bad of a cliffy. =]


	14. So Long

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews. However, if I got half as many reviews as I did 'Favorite Author or Story' alerts I would be whipping up chapters every day! If you take the time to add me to your favorites list, pleeaassee leave me a review, too! The more reviews I get, the quicker I make new chapters. Anyway, thanks for sticking around this far, it's about to get juicier after this chapter. =] Enjoy!

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Chapter 14 – So Long

**Gill's P.O.V.**

_These days of battling my conscious are becoming longer and more difficult. Every day I question myself whether or not I should keep up this façade of pretending everything is okay. Because the truth is, everything is NOT okay. Here I am, the future mayor of this island, allowing one of the largest importers from our town run their business in a corrupt way. Yet, every time I am about to talk to father about it, that same, nagging, feeling creeps into me. I've never felt this feeling before, but I'm pretty sure it's from becoming attached to her. It overwhelms me with a significant amount of fear, in fact. It is quite shaking. The fear of losing her quickly surpasses any doubt I had about having her here before. What would you do if you were here, Mom? I miss having you to turn to about these things…_

I cringed as I heard my father's voice call up the stairs.

"Gillian! Can I please have a word with you?"

I sighed and shut my journal. "Just a second!" I answered. What could it be now?

I steadily walked down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, looking inquiringly at Father.

"Sit down, my boy. I need to have a word with you," He nodded toward the armchair facing him. He was gazing into the fire that cast a warm glow throughout the room, despite the cold vibes I was getting from him.

"I've noticed some…changes with the way things are being run around here, Gill," he began. I looked up at him questioningly.

"Now, you know I let you handle a lot of the domestic and even some of the foreign trade business to help prepare you to take my place. But Gill, things just aren't going the way they used to."

"Father, that's because they are going BETTER than they used to!" I interjected, "sometimes we have to try new things. The old, traditional way isn't always the most successful."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Now look here, I have governed this island for 45 years with very few problems, thanks to the teachings of my father. The way we do things has been proven to work and I need to make sure you are following through with that," he said sternly.

"You… don't like how I've been running things?" I half asked, half stated.

"Gill, people are complaining about their shipments and you've been changing when and what we trade. Our outside relations are becoming tense and I don't want a weakening in those ties," he answered with concern. I tried to contain my temper and not get too worked up over the obliviousness of this place.

"Maybe this town is too caught up in their economical 'tradition' and has been prevented from moving forward with society for all these years! Axel's farm is the first thing in a decade that's brought this much prosperity, and- and yet-" I stopped myself right there, dropping my fist in defeat.

_Yet, she has to hide her identity because this island doesn't accept women owning a farm alone._

"You will go to Flower Bud Village two islands over and see how they use the same methods we do to make their island flourish. Maybe that will help you see how this island ought to be run, or else, as much as it saddens me to say, you won't be governing anything," he ordered. My eyes widened. Was my position and future career path seriously under that much jeopardy?

"How long?" I asked weakly. Once Father had his mind set on something, it was done. Arguing about it would only put me in a worse situation than I already was.

"Three weeks. Don't worry, you will be back just in time for the Autumn Masquerade Ball!" he said a little more lightly. So now this was a joyful circumstance, while I felt like I was being punished. His mood swings frustrated me to no end sometimes. I rose from my chair, clenching my fists.

"If that is all, Father, I'll be leaving now," I said without waiting for a reply. I slipped on my shoes and swiftly walked out the door.

"I'll show them…" Briskly, I walked out into the cool evening to stroll off my frustration of everyone around me.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

"Angie?" My brother's voice relayed through my stingy phone connection. How did we even get cell phone reception out here, anyway?

"How are you doing, Axel? Are you eating? Clean? Healthy? Where are you?" I threw a ton of questions at him. I hadn't heard from him in weeks! Half of the time HIS cell phone reception was out, or I had been busy with farm work. Either way, I was always concerned about his safety.

"Woah, slow down, Sis. We are fine- half way across America- but great. We really live in a beautiful country, you know? I never even knew half of the stuff was out here…" he replied, "What is it like on the farm?"

"It's beautiful here, too. I wish you could see it. Sometimes this dressing up stuff- it, well, it gets lonely," I sighed, "Did you guys make enough to pay off my college tuition yet?"

There was a long pause. "We uh, won't know for sure until the end of the year, Ange. The summer festival didn't have as many record labels as we were hoping, BUT- but, let me finish- it's okay because there's a winter tour that we got into that will take us world-wide! Isn't that great?" He informed me.

"So, you're saying I'm stuck here even longer?" I wasn't sure how I would feel about that happening. It didn't matter though, because he silenced that thought.

"No, because we'll finish up the tour before New Years. You'll be free then!" He explained with excitement. I then thought of something we had never considered before.

"Axel, what happens if you make it big and I go to college? What happens to the farm?" I asked almost in a panic.

"I don't know, Sis… I don't know. I kind of hoped that one would play itself out." He admitted. I thought of all the hard work I put into the farm; all that I had accomplished. To just leave it to rot would be shameful…

"Wait, was that your plan?" A light suddenly went on.

He laughed nervously, "I'll call again soon, take care and be safe. Love you!" "AXEL! WAIT!" There was a click, and he was gone. I stared at the phone in my hand.

I was stranded here. While I didn't think he tricked me by saying he would pay for my college- believe me, he knew I would force him to if he had the means to do it- he still kind of hoped that I would WANT to stay here. I hung up the phone and stood. Why would I?

_Well…_

I shook my head to silence any ideas that could pop into my head in response to that. I didn't want to think about heavy stuff like that right now. I had this Autumn Ball thing to worry about…

What excuse would I use? What would my identity be? I also needed an alibi for the male 'me' at the same time. Looking out my window, I noticed that the moon was a small sliver in the sky, but it was clear enough to see several stars twinkling around it.

_Maybe I'll take a quick stroll before bed… After all, there won't be many more warm nights before Autumn comes._

I walked along my land that I had come to call my own, my own settlement in a way. Where I could see the fruits of my harvest; the reward of my hard work. Squinting, I saw another figure in the distance, just beyond my farm. Who was that?

As they walked closer, my heart quickened when I realized that it was Gill. What was he doing here?

I called to him, "Gill? Are you taking a walk?"

He stopped along his trail, paused, then turned up the path to my ranch. He had his hands in his pockets and leaned against my fence.

"Hello, Axel. I was just clearing my head a bit," He replied. He seemed a little dazed.

"I see. So… what is there to clear your head about?" I inquired, "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want, but talking about things always helps me!"

He looked at me for a few seconds, seeming to ponder what I said. Finally, he gazed at the moon and answered, "Apparently, my father doesn't think I am doing well in my training to become mayor. Apparently, all of my hard work is accumulating to nothing and going by completely unnoticed," his fists tightened, "You know, I sacrifice a lot to ensure success in the future, yet everyone on this island sees it as useless and just a way to isolate myself. Every single day I get a comment from someone about it when I just-" He paused. "I just want to make Mother proud…"

I didn't know what to say. I was shocked at not only the way he felt, but also that he had just laid that all on me at once.

Gill chuckled sadistically. "He wants to send me to Flower Bud village to 'observe' their ways. Basically, it is a nice way of punishing me for three weeks. How is he going to handle all of the work without me?"

"Gill, there isn't even a structured form of security on this island. I'm sure things won't get too chaotic," I stated. He managed to smile a little.

"So… when are you leaving?" I asked. I suddenly felt extremely sad that I wouldn't see him for three whole weeks.

"Tomorrow. Father was nice enough to have me back in time for the 'Autumn Masquerade Ball', though," he emphasized with fake enthusiasm.

My spirits shot back up. At least he could see me as a girl! That would have to get me through the lonely three weeks. I decided to not comment on the ball to avoid any awkward boy-girl scenarios. Most of the time, leaving gender out of discussion was easiest.

"Well, do your best, and so will I while you're gone. I know you'll do a great job- don't worry so much what people think! And um, I'll be here waiting for you when you get back," I added the last part quietly. That was just added the second it came to mind, so I had no control over it.

He seemed a bit surprised at my encouragement at first, and just gazed at me for a few seconds.

"_His eyes gleam when the moon hits them a certain way… I could easily kiss him right now and no one would see…"_

I caught myself spacing out and was forced to snap back to reality; feeling a blush sprawl across my face. I was such an idiot sometimes.

"Well, I should get to sleep, so good luck!" I waved, slowly turning to go back inside to hide my embarrassment. I almost jumped when I felt a hand grab my wrist gently, tugging me back.

"Hold on a second," he ordered, causing me to look back. Somehow he pulled my arm in a way that drew me against him into a hug. He was good at doing that.

Not letting my shock overtake me this time, I gratefully leaned in and savored the feeling of his crisp dress shirt against my face, taking in his clean scent. It was even better than I had imagined.

"Axel… thanks for listening. Stay out of trouble for three weeks, okay?" He pulled away, ending the embrace all too soon. Of course, I nodded dumbly.

"See you in three weeks," he smirked and did a two-finger salute. I grinned, waving back as his figure got smaller the farther he walked away from my farm.

_I'll be here, waiting…_


	15. The Masquerade

A/N: Greetings again! Thank you all so much for the reviews! Here is the moment you've all been waiting for…the Masquerade Ball! It's extra special and long because you have all been so lovely. DON'T forget to review!

Also, check out my newest fanart here! It goes pretty well with the chapter. =] (replace the dots!)

http:(slash)/victoriakissel(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d32dki2

With that, enjoy! Taa~

Chapter 15- The Masquerade

* * *

"_All I can say is it was_

_enchanting to meet you…"_

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I felt the silky fabric cascade down my legs as I lifted my hands through the arm holes. I didn't think I had ever worn something with so much fluffiness in my life. However, glancing in the mirror made me actually feel like a girl again. Julius was a genius at design, and definitely was taking advantage of being able to 'dress me up'. Despite my short hair, the dress was tailored to compliment it in the best way possible. The gown had an embroidered bodice that was strapless except for two roses draped along each shoulder. Made of a rosy, cream hue, it gracefully tumbled to the floor. It was definitely big enough for me to have to pick up, having several layers underneath.

Basically, it screamed 'feminine.'

"Suck it in!" Luna instructed, tightening my bodice. I gasped as I obeyed her command. It's not like I wasn't used to being bound in that area, anyway. She pinned the back of the dress so that it hugged my curves in a very flattering way. Luckily, we were in a private room that Luna used just for fittings. The curtains were closed and the door was locked to make sure my identity was safe.

"What does your dress look like, Luna?" I asked as she played with the tulle at the bottom of my dress.

"Well, it's purple, with a high waistline… oh, here, I'll just show you!" She walked over to a closet and pulled out an intricately-woven ball gown, adorned with darker flowers that flared to the bottom. It was breathtaking.

"Luna, did you make that, too?" I asked in awe. She nodded happily.

"I sure did! But keep it on the down low. I only made your dress because it was last-minute and you needed it the most. I would be swamped with work if I took these kind of orders for everyone," she winked.

I laughed. "I can't thank you enough for it. I take it this is a pretty big deal around here?"

"Duh! It's the biggest festival of the year, aside from New Years! Everyone goes all out. We take a ferry to an island where Julius' family owns a huge mansion- it's gorgeous! Candice is so lucky to be married into wealth like that," she sighed.

"WHAT? What do you mean 'married'?" I shouted.

"SHHH! I wasn't supposed to tell you that! You heard nothing, got it? I have a feeling Julius will announce it at the ball, anyway," she quieted me, "Now, hold still while I hem the bottom of this."

I stood as tall as I could while balancing on the pedestal. "Luna, my feet are starting to hurt!" I whined.

"Angela, you have a long night ahead of you in these heels. Beauty is pain sometimes," she scolded, "by the way… where is 'Axel' going to be during all of this?"

Little did she know I had a well-thought out plan of where I was to be all night. I ran it through my mind over and over again- each conclusion was fool-proof.

"Axel will fall ill, but his sister is in town visiting. Unable to attend, he'll feel obligated to send his sister in his place, then she will go home afterward! No one will want to come visit him, because I'll make up some obscure, disgusting disease that they won't want to come in contact with. Sound good?" I asked hopefully.

"Haha, you're a clever one. It sure SOUNDS like it will work," she replied.

"By the way…would you…be my date? Since, you know, Gill won't be here until later, I thought we could just go together, especially since I'm not supposed to 'know anyone' on the island." I added.

In fact, the last three weeks had been some of the longest of my life. Not hearing his smug comments and quick remarks made my days rather dull. I smiled inwardly when I thought of our last meeting.

"_Axel… thanks for listening. Stay out of trouble for three weeks, okay?"_

My heart swelled when I recalled the feeling of his arm around me, even if it was a quick hug. His movements mesmerized me; he was awkwardly gentle, yet confident. He had better hurry back, or I would start to lose his intoxicating scent…

Luna sighed heavily. "I think the first part is a good idea, but afterward you will have to mingle with people at least a little. I DO want to dance with Gill at least once!" She started to get starry-eyed.

"Y-yeah, of course. I can do that," I answered uncertainly. There could be no drama if I was just some stranger from another island, right? Right.

"It'll be so romantic- getting to dance under the moonlight. And between you and me, I think it might actually be the perfect time to make 'the move'!" She folded her hands together in a dreamy manner.

"'The move?'" I repeated. She looked at me like I was dumb.

"Well, yeah! YOU'RE the one that said I should make the next move since he wasn't, remember?"

I blinked. "Oh, heh, yeah, I did say that, didn't I?" I WAS the idiot who babbled that advice, wasn't I?

"Yeah! So, I think I'm going to finally follow through with it! Things have been going really well with us, you know?" She was truly excited to be confiding in me about this. How could I not be along with her? Battling my own inner emotions, I grinned at her.

"That's really great, Luna. I hope it works," I finished. She inserted the last pin and stood up.

"There, I think it should fit after I make these last alterations," She stood with her hands on her hips triumphantly, "And in two days, you will be a knock-out! Oh, by the way…" she then glided across the room and opened a drawer. "Your mask that we ordered came in!"

She gave me the lovely eye piece that was woven with white lace and three diamond-shaped gems placed on each side of me eyes; one in between them. There was a white ribbon attached to tie around my head.

"Oh, Luna, it's beautiful," I breathed.

I cradled it in my hands, looking at the veil that would make this night possible. For one evening, I was going to be someone else; someone completely different.

I gulped. Once again, this was going to either be really good, or really bad. My swiftness, quick wit, and pure luck were going to have to pull through in the end somehow. But for him, it was worth it.

**Gill's P.O.V**.

Riding on the ferry home for three hours gave me a lot of time to contemplate the last three weeks. For one, Flower Bud was one of the dullest places I had ever been to. Maybe it was because I didn't know many people, but working with their Mayor made me appreciate our island much more than before.

The days consisted of me following the Mayor around on his daily rounds, lounging around his office while I observed, and wandering around Flower Bud. All the while, my mind was reeling because I felt like I was missing out on the action on Waffle Island.

_They're going to need help planning the Masquerade Ball. Who's going to advertise it? Who will make sure the ferry comes at the right time?_

This went on for at least a week, until I let not having anything to do help me relax. I knew what my father was talking about how this island was run before I even came here. I could spend a year here and it wouldn't change our island's strict tradition. While I learned a thing or two, it wasn't anything that took up all my time. I even had time to sit under a tree; its leaves dabbled with the first hints of red; and write in my journal.

Of course, too much time led to me thinking about things that I swore I wouldn't. In the end, though, I actually came to a conclusion. That conclusion was that a wall needed to come down. I had had enough of my mental barrier of denial hinder my state of mind. I was Gill Hamilton, and Gill Hamilton was always sure of himself.

The truth was, I needed her. These three weeks were absolute hell without having her to look after, to tease, or to talk to. Slowly, she had made her way beneath the surface that I placed between myself and everyone else. Why hadn't I seen it happening sooner?

_Because you didn't want to admit that you were falling for someone that put an obstacle in your path._

As ashamed as I was to admit it, I didn't _want_ something coming between me being mayor. Somewhere along the way, however, that 'thing' became more important to me than being mayor could ever be.

_Angela, what will you do about the Masquerade?..._

"Waffle Island, straight ahead! We'll be docking in 30 minutes!" Pascal's voice broke my thoughts. I guessed some more questions would be answered tonight at the Ball.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I walked down the brightly-lit streets that were unusually quiet. Everyone was getting ready for the Autumn Masquerade Ball, seeing as the ferry was leaving in two hours. It was definitely living up to its name- autumn was definitely among us. I clenched my light zip-up closer, feeling the chill as a gust of cool air swirled a pile of orange and red leaves at my feet. It was a fine night for a masquerade, indeed…

Munching on my apple, I opened the door to the tailor's, ringing a tiny bell as I did so. Luna invited me to get ready together since it would look a little suspicious if I carried a ball gown home.

"Hello?" I called. I was immediately bombarded by Luna, having my apple grabbed from me, much to my dismay.

"Where have you BEEN? We have two hours before the ferry LEAVES! And give me that apple!" Luna exclaimed. She was in a silk robe with curlers in her hair. Apparently, she took getting ready more seriously than I did.

"That was my dinner, thanks," I retorted.

"There's no TIME to eat! Besides, there will be food there and you need to fit into your dress," she explained, throwing the apple in the trash. Candace walked out of her room, having already curled her hair. It was the first time I had ever seen her without glasses.

"Hey, Candace! You look really pretty!" She pulled herself together really nicely.

"Th-thanks!" she blushed, " I'm sorry, but I have to get there early to help Julius set up, so I have to catch the first boat. See you there?"

"Oh. Uh, I'm actually not attending because….I'm sick. Luna just had medicine to give me before she left." I pulled that out of nowhere unbelievably fast. I threw in a fake cough in an attempt to seem more believable. Thankfully, she was in a hurry and didn't think too much about it.

"I'm sorry you have to miss this, Axel. Feel better soon!" She picked up her pale, blue gown and hurried out the door.

Luna looked at me. "Wow. Stay that smooth all night and you'll have your secret found out in no time!" she said sarcastically.

"What was I supposed to say? I didn't know she was here!" I countered.

"Come on, we have work to do," she rolled her eyes and grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the fitting room again.

A good hour and a half passed, and finally we were ready. Thanks to Luna, I was unrecognizable with the mask. I was worried about my hair, but she flipped the ends out and put tiny hair bows on each side framing my face. I didn't know that my hair cut could actually look girly!

After we tied our masks on, she took my gloved hand. "Come on, my princess!" she giggled. We walked out of the tailor's and began our walk to the dock to depart to the party.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered.

The walk to the dock was probably one of the most thrilling and terrifying of my life. I felt so…exposed, but I kept reminding myself that I was hidden behind my mask.

_Easy now… one step after the other, don't throw up…_

"You look great, don't be so nervous!" Luna linked arms with mine. I nodded slightly, keeping a bunch of my dress in one hand as I walked.

"Just hoping I don't get busted, as always," I admitted.

"It'll be fine, because I've got your back, okay? Just be yourself and have fun tonight, please?" She comforted me. I smiled and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Luna…"

We quickly arrived at the busy dock; alive with the hum of excited voices. There were masks and colors of all sorts: feathered ones, sparkly ones, even beaked ones.

"Wow, I really can't tell who some of these people are!" I noted to Luna.

The person with the giant beaked mask approached us, frightening me a bit. I squinted to try to see their eyes. Obviously, it was a male, because he was wearing a tux.

"Hey Luna! You look great! Who is THIS?" I immediately recognized Luke's voice. He lifted his mask slightly and winked. "See? It's me, Luke! I bet you didn't catch that at first!"

"The mask fits your personality, Luke. But thank you, and this is my date- Axel's sister, Angela."

"Nice to meet you," I extended my hand. He stared at it for a few seconds, then back at me.

"Should I kiss it or something like they would do at masquerades?" He asked dumbly.

Some of the things he thought of made me laugh. "That's not necessary, Luke. But it was a nice thought." He grinned and shook my hand like a normal person, then.

"Well, your brother is awesome, and it was great to meet you, Angela! I have to get back to Selena!" he waved and wandered back to his date, exotically dressed as always.

"He was totally fooled!" I exclaimed to Luna. She giggled back, "I know!"

"Time to board, everyone!" Pascal's voice rang throughout the crowd. He rang a large bell by the beautiful ferry that was decorated with strings of lights. As we walked onto the boat, I couldn't get over how extravagantly everyone was dressed. It was like a whole different world compared to our every-day lives. A few people exchanged whispers as I passed, and I noticed a few stares. I assumed it was because I looked unfamiliar to them. Then again, there were people that I didn't recognize on the boat, either. Maybe Julius invited friends from other islands?

A host greeted us at the entrance with a tray of champagne glasses filled with bubbling liquid. Most people took one, but I thought it would be wise to skip it this time. I was nervous enough; I didn't even want to think about how I would be with alcohol in my system.

"Have you seen Gill yet?" I asked Luna. We sat toward the front of the boat as everyone was boarding and preparing to set sail.

"No… I have a feeling he will go late with his father. The Mayor always makes a late entrance and Gill probably got back from Flower Bud later," she said as she took a sip from her glass.

"Oh, I see…" I stared out into the dark waters, our ferry's lights being the only light reflecting on it. People were pointing out the island we were going to. Since it was within eye sight, it wouldn't take long to get there.

"We are now drawing the anchor! We will arrive in approximately 30 minutes! Enjoy the ride!" Pascal informed everyone on a loudspeaker. Everyone cheered and applauded at his announcement. I leaned against my seat and enjoyed the sea air, letting myself relax until we got to the mansion.

I lifted my head, gawking at the mansion towering over me. The outside porch had two giant columns that were wrapped with decorative lights and ribbon. Flower pedals and glitter were scattered up the steps to the entrance, casting a sparkling radiance that wrapped all around the courtyard. I felt like I was in a dream, or a really overdone romantic movie. How had I not known how loaded Julius was?

The rooms seemed to lead on forever, complete with a classic, grand staircase directly in front of the foyer. We followed the crowd up the steps, leading us to the ball room. On a slightly raised platform, there was a string quartet playing soft melodies as everyone arrived. There were golden tapestries draped in a festive manner everywhere that the eye could see. Orange and red-tinted strands of leaves were placed on tables and columns to emphasize the 'autumn' aspect of the ball. The decorations were truly spectacular together.

Unfortunately, Luna left my side temporarily, leaving me to awkwardly stand by a butler holding a tray of some petit, bite-size appetizers. I searched the crowd for a familiar face, finding none in the sea of masks. I jumped when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Do I know you?" I turned to see a girl with long, brown hair, smiling sweetly at me. Seeing what looked like Dr. Jin beside her, I figured out that it was Anissa. At her other side was clearly Maya, with an initially uninterested Chase hooked on her arm.

_Please don't recognize me, Chase…_

"Hello, my name is Angela. I am kind of filling in for my twin brother, Axel. He fell ill the day before the ball, so he sent me in his place," I answered smoothly. I scanned their faces for their responses to that. Jin's was unreadable, but Chase, however, suddenly gained much more interest.

"He never mentioned having a sister before! I'm Chase, nice to meet you. Your brother and I are really tight!" Maya gave him a look that signaled her annoyance at his over-niceness toward me.

"That's horrible that he missed this. What is he sick with?" Anissa asked innocently. I paused. I hadn't thought of an answer to that yet! Why did she have to ask what he was sick with now?

Thinking fast, I inhaled, "Well, you see, he um, came down with…an enflamed…liver. Not real pretty," I added the last bit to end anyone wanting to ask any more questions about it. I did not miss, however, Jin covering his mouth as he suppressed bursting out in laughter at my pathetic medical terms.

"Well, we will be sure to tell him that we were charmed to meet his lovely twin sister," Jin said, bowing his head slightly, offering a smile.

I exhaled, "The pleasure was all mine, you all enjoy yourselves!"

"Let us know if you need anything, okay?" Chase stared me directly in the eyes. I had to look away in fear that he would see right through my disguise.

"Th-thanks… Will do," I replied. I sighed as he looked back at me at least twice after they waved and walked away. Finally, Luna found me again.

"Having fun?" she had yet another glass of champagne.

"You keeping tabs on those?" I pointed to the thin, glass.

"Hey, it's free, and when do I ever let loose at home?" she countered. I sighed. I would just have to keep an eye on her…

The music came to a halt, and everyone's heads turned to the stage. Julius was there, dressed elaborately in his masquerade attire, feathers and all. He had a blushing Candice by his side, looking as stunning as ever.

"Welcome, everyone! My, don't we all look ravishing this evening? I thank you for coming to our 20th Autumn Masquerade Ball, and most of all, I would like to thank my mother for allowing us have it here tonight!" He led a wave of applause until the whole room was clapping. The Lady of the House was standing at the bottom of the stage and waved modestly.

"Thank you, mother. Along with the celebration of the autumn harvest, festivity, and hard work, there is one more occasion that we are celebrating tonight," he took Candice's hand in his and raised it so everyone could see the sparkling, blue ring on her finger. "We are celebrating the engagement of myself and the beautiful love of my life, Candice!"

The room immediately broke out into a fit of 'Woo!'s and loud whistles, and of course, claps. The couple got a long applause before Julius spoke again, "Thank you, and you're all invited to the wedding which will be in the Winter season! So, without further ado, let the dancing begin!" He bowed, then raised his hand to the quartet which began playing a more upbeat concerto.

**Gill's P.O.V.**

Finally, father and I arrived at the party. For some unknown reason, the mayor's family always arrived later to such events, especially big ones like these. I had gotten over my embarrassment of my father's over-the-top masks last year. Showing up with someone wearing ram horns on their head five years in a row got one over the humiliation. Despite his coaxing to join him, I always chose to just wear a simple, black mask. Everyone knew who I was when I showed up with him, so what was the point?

Looking around, I noticed several other men weren't even wearing masks, so I didn't feel out of place. I felt that my white, coat-tailed suit, accompanied with a cummerbund, a black, embroidered vest, and black bow tie sufficed. The only oddity I added for this occasion was a pair of white gloves to complete the look.

"Gill, I just wanted to let you know that I'm proud to have you at my side tonight. I'm proud of what you did these past three weeks, and I'm glad we are on the same page again," Father said merrily, patting me on the back. Funny how we hadn't even had time to speak about the past three weeks- he was just assuming that I agreed. I decided it could wait until after tonight. After all, this was supposed to be a 'fun' occasion.

_As long as Luna doesn't get drunk again and is all over me, we'll be fine… _

As we entered, Julius announced his engagement to Candice, sending the crowd into a roar of applause. Who would have thought they would be the first to get married on the island? I smiled and clapped for them.

_When will my time come? I won't be handed the position of Mayor until it does…_

Of course, much to my own self-dismay, this led my thoughts to a certain farmer that I hadn't gotten a chance to visit before the ball. I scanned the crowd, looking at all of the people dressed in suits. If she was here, she would certainly be dressed as a male.

_It was probably too risky of a situation for her to come…_

I let my heart sink when I didn't spot her familiar face. I did, however, quickly spot Luna coming toward me full speed. I had to admit, she looked very pretty in her dark purple dress and lightly curled hair. While I always found Luna attractive, there was always something missing with her that I could never put my finger on until now. I think it was that we couldn't connect because she never listened. She blindly agreed with what I said; never sparking any heated arguments or emotion. While those weren't good all of the time, I had to feel SOMETHING, and I knew who caused me to feel that.

"Gilly! You made it! I've missed you these three weeks! It must have been so long and boring for you!" she exclaimed. I could already tell by her slightly dragging words that she was tipsy.

"You could say that. It was also…enlightening, though," I answered thoughtfully. All the while, I was dreading the evening ahead with her. I was relieved when the music picked up- most didn't know that I did enjoy a good dance now and then.

"Come on Gill, let's dance!" I let her grab my wrist and lead me to the dance floor. My stomach turned when I somehow saw my father wink at me under his mask. We lined up with all of the other couples; males facing the females. The procession started with the males bowing and extending their hand, then each couple did a dance together down the middle. It was a traditional folk dance performed at all of our festivals, and I found it quite enjoyable. There was laughter and cheer all around, especially seeing everyone in their masks.

"Did you miss me, Gilly?" Luna chirped as I twirled her. I rolled my eyes unnoticeably.

"Yes, Luna, I missed not knowing anyone on the island," I answered trying to not upset her. I was one of the few who knew that Luna got very temperamental when she drank.

"Tell me about your three weeks, then," she prodded me, dancing a little more sensually than what the dance called for.

"Uh, well, I-" The room spun around me as I thought about how to start the story of my uneventful three weeks. Round and round it went, until I noticed a figure I had never seen before. Julius stuck out like a sore thumb with his flamboyant costume, but the girl next to him was in a subtle, yet elegantly-made gown that caught my eye.

The gown matched perfectly with her cream-colored mask made of delicate lace. Her dress gracefully grazed the floor, and her long, matching gloves made her appear to be out of a fairytale. It was the second spin around when I got to look once more at her laughing with Julius and Candace that made me nearly freeze in my tracks.

_There's no way… There is no way they convinced her to do something like this!_

"Ow! Gill, I just ran into you! Pay attention!" Luna grumbled at me.

"Luna, who is the girl in that light colored dress talking to Julius? I haven't seen her before," I tried to ask with an uninterested tone, but failed miserably.

Luna didn't speak for a few moments. Then she replied, "That's just Axel's sister. He got sick while she was visiting so she came for him," she answered nonchalantly.

I nodded and finished the dance normally, but hardly took my eyes off of her.

_What is she thinking? Surely someone will recognize her… won't they?_

Regardless, I couldn't deny that she looked absolutely breath-taking. She had literally stopped me in my tracks in the middle of a dance! Maybe I was worrying too much. They WERE supposed to be twins, right? Maybe she had this more well-thought out than I thought. My curiosity was getting the best of me, and as soon as the violins slowed to signal the end of the song, I bowed to my dance partner.

"Thank you for the dance, Luna. If you'll excuse me…" I pardoned myself before she had time to reply. Luckily, another song was starting up so she would soon get distracted. Swiftly, I made my way through the crowd to where they were chatting.

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I was grateful to have Julius and Candice come talk to me when the first dance started. Naturally, I didn't have a partner, so I was left alone to watch this round. I had to admit, the dance looked like a lot of fun. I smiled as Julius approached.

"Good evening, my dear. I take it Luna took care of you with getting ready tonight?" He asked me.

"Yes, everything has been going smoothly! And congratulations on the engagement! I'm so happy for you two!" I said whole-heartedly.

"Candice, have you met Axel's twin sister, Angela?" Julius introduced us. Candace's eyes lit up with recognition.

"We haven't, but I just saw your brother before I came here. I do hope he feels better soon. Please send him our regards," she said with soft concern.

"Thank you, I certainly wi-" My breath hitched in my throat midsentence when I caught sight of who Luna was dancing with. There he was, looking handsome as ever, bowing to her. I looked away as soon as I saw him glance in my direction.

_What should I do? I want to run…No, Angela! You will keep your feet firmly planted right where you are and be brave. Tonight is the one time you don't have to run from him._

Julius quickly caught on to my distraction. "Don't be nervous, dear. You are a guest here. Just let us know if you need anything."

"I-I will, thank you," I wanted to let out a whimper when I saw him begin walking in my direction.

_Calm down! You've had three weeks to prepare yourself for this moment! Don't blow it now by freaking out!_

There wasn't enough time in the world to prepare me for the look he gave me when he approached. It was a look of curiosity, hesitancy, and… bewilderment?

"Hello, Gill! I'm glad that you could make it. I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine, Angela. She is stepping in for Axel after he fell ill," Julius explained happily. I wanted to wipe his silly grin off his face so badly. I was sure he was having way too much fun with this. I looked away in a sad attempt to hide my blush that overtook my face.

"You don't say... Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Coldwell," Gill bowed slightly to me. His voice still sounded half distracted. What was he thinking right now?

I forced myself to meet his eyes and replied, "Th-the pleasure is all mine."

Julius chuckled and said whimsically, "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind…" giving a dramatic wave of his hand as he walked away.

_Thanks for leaving me on that awkward note, Julius…_

I laughed nervously, "Does he say weird things like that often?"

"All of the time," Gill replied. He still hadn't lost that strange look on his face.

"May I ask what Axel has fallen ill with?" he asked me lightly. I fidgeted with my gloved fingers, not enjoying the feeling of my hands starting to sweat in them.

"Yes, um, he was diagnosed with an enflamed liver and bedridden for at least a day. He just felt horrible that he couldn't come, so he felt sending his twin would make up for his absence!" I explained, trying not to stutter. There was something about being able to talk like a girl for once that sent a thrill through my body. I could flirt carelessly, just for fun, and not have to worry about it. For one night only, I could show Gill the _real_ Angela. I just prayed that he would like what I had to offer.

"Well then, I suppose I owe it to my dear friend to make sure his sister enjoys herself in his place, hm?" He finally smiled slightly, making me want to melt all over again. I was too surprised to respond right away, but another song soon began.

"Angela, would you, um, care to dance…?" He extended his hand to me. I stared for a few moments at it, then nodded happily and accepted. Despite only fabric touching, a surge of electricity sparked through me the moment I took his hand. The haze of euphoria clouding my mind kept me from realizing that I didn't even know how to do this dance until I was being led onto the dance floor.

_Oh, crap…_

"Gill, I actually um, don't know how to do this dance…" I confessed. He looked bemusedly at me, smirking.

"Oh yeah? Well, I guess I will have to teach you then," He stood facing me, and raised his left hand, and slowly put his right on my waist. He barely touched me, but I almost literally shivered.

"Just give me your right hand, and put the other on my shoulder, okay?" His gaze travelled sideways, and I could tell he was trying not to blush as well.

"Okay, but I hope you don't mind your nicely-shined shoes getting tramped on once or … five times," I said humorously, listening to what he told me to do.

He smiled at my comment. "Well then in all fairness, you did warn me, right?"

We began moving suddenly, and I tried to mimic how he moved his feet.

"Just step to the side, then back two, and repeat. There you go," He instructed gently. I had never noticed how good of a teacher he was when he didn't get flustered. I quickly got the hang of the moves, so I could focus more on conversation.

"So, Angela, have you enjoyed visiting Axel on Waffle Island?" Gill started hesitantly. It was cute how polite he was trying to be to 'Axels' sister'.

"I have, very much so. It's a great change of scenery from the city… you run a fine island," I complimented him. I knew he didn't hear that too often.

"W-well, thank you. I hope Axel hasn't been too harsh talking about me," he said in a joking tone.

I laughed, "Not at all! I think you're- er, he think's very highly of you," I saved myself on that one, at the cost of blushing and looking away momentarily.

Gill chuckled softly, "So, which of you is the eldest- you or Axel?"

"I'm proudly older by five whole minutes, and it shows," I paused, "But…I was a difficult baby at birth. Because of my position, my mother... ah.." I didn't want to finish the sentence.

"But I thought your father was… because of the ranch having… I mean, Axel inherited the farm," Gill tried to word his sentence the right way.

"Yeah… he passed away last year, so Axel and I lived with close relatives," I explained

"I'm sorry I brought it up… but I can partly understand. That is, my mother passed away, too. However, I was a bit older when it happened," he said quietly.

I looked at him empathetically, "It's alright, it's nice to have someone who can relate."

He offered me a small smile that I returned with greater magnitude than I intended.

He didn't reply, but inhaled loudly between his teeth, trying to cover up a whimper of pain. "Those are pretty high heels you have on, aren't they?"

"Sorry! I warned you that I wasn't very good at this…" I apologized quickly. Looking around, I suddenly was aware of the number of eyes on us. Why were they staring at us? They all had mushy looks on their faces and were whispering back and forth. Luckily, I hadn't spotted Luna anywhere…

"Hey, Gill, is it just me, or is everyone watching us?" I asked him quietly, like everyone could hear our conversation. He glanced around as well, then smirked.

"It would seem that way…It could be because I am dancing with the most stunning girl in the room right now," he answered casually, "get ready, I'm going to twirl you."

Immediately I turned red, and luckily I had the twirl to think of something to say. When we returned to our regular position, I asked skeptically, "Do you say those things to every girl you meet?"

He stared at me for a few moments, and I hoped I hadn't hurt his feelings. However, he just continued to gaze and me with those piercing, blue eyes and replied, "I don't. I guess there is just something about tonight that's…different."

I couldn't handle the intensity of his looks, and was beginning to feel faint. To my mixture of relief and disappointment, the song ended. I quickly returned Gill's bow with a curtsy to the best of my ability.

"Would you like to get some fresh air?" He had a worried look on his face.

"That sounds perfect right now," I replied, hooking myself onto his arm he offered me. I panicked as I saw Luna come from around the corner. I think Julius caught my frantic look, because he quickly distracted her by asking her for an upbeat dance. I mouthed 'thank you' to him and he winked back at me. I would have to repay him for all of this later…

When I thought about it, a sickening feeling came over me. I was stealing time with my best friend's love! I just thanked someone for distracting her so I could sneak off with him- it didn't get much more backstabbing than that. Who had I become tonight?

We walked into the courtyard that had a small garden, illuminated like the rest of the house. The path extended left and right, then met in a circle a few yards away.

_Geez, I wonder how long it took these people to decorate everything…_

Looking up, I saw that the moon was brightly casting its light on the paths as well, making every shadow visible. An overwhelmingly sad feeling engulfed me then, and I had to break off from Gill's arm to have a moment to myself.

"Did the dancing over-do it?" He asked with concern. I took off my gloves, welcoming the cool air hitting my hands. I ran them along an intricately- carved, stone fountain that came up to about my eye-sight.

"Sometimes, especially tonight, I just wish things could be simpler," I muttered. I wasn't even sure if he could hear me, but I continued anyway, "There's so much fear, so many enemies I am creating, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Gill put his hands in his pockets, leaning against the end of a stone vase. "Sounds like you have a pretty hectic life back home, Miss Coldwell," he observed.

I turned my head and gazed at him. He really, honestly, had no idea.

"You could say that…Sometimes I just miss being myself. I'm sick of putting up a façade for people," I said the last part with slightly more frustration.

"So take your mask off. It would be, symbolic, if you will, just for tonight," he suggested indifferently. I looked at him in shock. Did he really just suggest taking my mask off? Would he be offended if I didn't? He began walking toward me again, putting me in take-off mode. Standing inches from me, he slid off his mask, revealing his glistening, blue eyes more clearly.

They bore into my brown ones as he said almost inaudibly, "Like so."

I stared at him for a few moments, frightened by his bold suggestion. There was no way I could take it off without him recognizing me. I just couldn't…

"I… Some things just have to stay hidden, I'm afraid," I said sadly, looking down.

He let out a small laugh under his breath, "You certainly are a mystery."

He stepped away from being so close to me, bowing slightly then offered me his arm.

"Shall we continue walking?"

I smiled and graciously took his arm again. All I had to do was get through the evening without hurting anyone's feelings- this was just for fun. As long as I kept myself convinced of that, all would be well. I forced myself to focus on my breathing; strolling along the path was relaxing and calmed my nerves greatly.

_Even if this can't be forever, just try to enjoy the night as a 'what if' scenario._

We came to a grand, white, gazebo where the two sides of the courtyard met, decorated with ivy and the pale light of the moon. My eyes glittered in admiration of it.

"What a lovely gazebo. Can we check it out?" I asked Gill. He smirked and nodded.

"Go right ahead," he said, following me onto the platform. I turned around to see him bowed again, offering me his hand.

"May I have another dance, my lady?" He had a playful glint in his eye. I blushed at his request, looking around us to see if anyone was there. It was silent, leaving just the two of us.

"Um, Gill, there isn't any music," I let out a giggle.

"Shh, listen," he put his finger in front of his mouth. We remained silent for a few seconds, allowing the soft hum of the violins to fill the air. The music could be heard from the mansion just up the hill.

I grinned, taking his hand. "Okay, so there is a little music," I admitted.

"That's all that is needed," He explained, drawing me close into a dancing position once more. I couldn't get the blush off my face, especially how intimately we were dancing now. We glided in small circles around the gazebo, my eyes closed as I listened to the distant tunes float around us.

"Tell me something about your mother," I asked suddenly. I hardly knew anything about his past, so I figured now would be a good time to find out.

"Well, she was always kind and gently towards others, always was smiling…" he pondered fondly, "she made sure that I was respectful and a gentleman to women, and always wanted me to be the best that I could."

"She sounded like an amazing woman," I commented. He gave me a smile that made my legs start to feel like Jell-O. Unexpectedly, he twirled me quickly, bringing me back him with his hand on my lower back. I felt like a delicate piece of glass because the way he was cradling me as if I would break.

"Since she passed away, Father has been pounding into me how important it is that I become mayor, do all the right things, and this and that. I think it really did something to him…" he added.

"Is there anything that your mother really instilled in you? Like in becoming mayor?" I asked, trying to lighten the topic.

"Yes, actually. I recall her always telling me to make sure I follow my heart, as cheesy as it sounds," he replied.

"Not at all! I think it's whether or not you've listened to her advice that is the real question," I told him in a light-hearted tone. He seemed to think about that for a second, staring intently at me.

"I don't think I have nearly enough," he confided quietly, "with everything that's been going on, I don't know if I'll live up to Father's expectations. He's just asking me to put aside way too much of my morals, all to satisfy this island's rash, outdated customs," he said, getting a little worked up. I nodded, agreeing for my own reasons.

"You can do anything you want to, though," I encouraged, "when you have someone who believes in you… and someone there waiting for you," I added. I may as well have given Axel some points before 'Angela' left. I panicked, however, when he suddenly got an unreadable look on his face, his mouth opened slightly.

"You're absolutely right," I caught his smoldering gaze right before I decided to start one last twirl on my own. I was NOT, however, expecting what was awaiting me after turning around.

Rather than returning to our original position, his hand pushed my back a little harder than before, and the other pressed against the back of my neck, sending a rush down my spine. What made me completely lose my focus, however, was when a pair of warm lips firmly met mine.

Explosions. That's what I felt coursing all throughout my body at the same time, if that's even possible. I couldn't even explain such a wonderfully, enchanting, mesmerizing feeling.

I vaguely felt his lips move when he whispered my name, giving me a chance to respond.

"Gill, I-"

"Shh, don't think," then I was quickly silenced again. I gasped against the urgency of his kiss, then soon gave in, not letting a moment escape this time. My hands limply rested on his chest. I was fairly certain that I would have fallen to the ground if he were to let go of his tight hold on me then.

Out of breath, our stunned gazes finally met. I don't know if I could say the same for him, but of the sudden, I fell from cloud nine to rock bottom.

_This can never be. He doesn't even know who you are._

"I-I wasn't supposed to let this happen-" I stuttered. I could feel the moisture building up in my eyes, threatening to fall and humiliate me.

_I just betrayed Luna. I really blew things this time…_

As wonderful as it was, it crossed the line of what was supposed to happen in my foolish, hypothetical fantasy.

"And just what did you want to happen…?" Gill asked me with a frenzied look on his face. We were both still shaken at what had just transpired.

"I-I don't know! I'm sorry, Gill, but I need to go. I'm sorry to leave, thank you for a wonderful evening, but I need to get back to Axel…" I had to leave before I became a ball of tears. I turned to leave, but was caught loosely by the wrist.

"Angela…" he paused, "it was wonderful to meet you," he offered in an attempt to make me feel better. He placed a slow, sweet kiss on my hand. If he was trying to make me cry from guilt, he was doing a superb job at it.

I gazed sadly at him. "I'm sorry it couldn't have been in different circumstances." With that, I picked up my dress and hurried back to the mansion, looking back once at his silhouette against the moon light.

I literally had zero time to think about anything, as I was quickly grabbed the arm.

Before I screamed, I recognized that it was Julius. He had a serious look in his eye that disturbed me.

"Chase is on his way to check on Axel. You need to get home, ASAP." He informed me.

"What! Ugh- Okay. Thank you so, so much, I can't-" he interrupted me, "Not now, my dear! Just go! You can catch the next ferry if you hurry- they are running every twenty minutes. " He gave me a gentle shove towards the exit. I nodded and quickly ran to the dock. Because it was taking way too long to get there, I yanked my heels off and gathered my dress as high as I could.

"Last call for boarding!" Pascal rang the bell on the boat. I looked back at the joyous festivities going on at the mansion, and how care-free everyone was. I wondered when my time would come to be completely care-free.

_Tonight was wonderful and awful all at once._

I hurried onto the ferry and buried my chin in my hands as I plopped down, praying that I beat Chase to my house.

**Chase's P.O.V.**

Sure, most probably would have called me crazy if they saw me sitting in the dark of someone's house that I didn't belong in. 'Crazy' couldn't begin to sum up how I felt, though. From the beginning of tonight, I had thought I was gay, left a perfectly dateable girl at the ball, gotten on a ferry, and broken into someone's house that I thought was sick, only to find it empty. After seeing Angela leave with Gill, something just didn't sit right. Something about the girl at the masquerade was too familiar, and I had to verify what I had been disillusioned by for so long.

Originally, my intent was to check on Axel, if there really was one inside. When the door was locked and no one answered, I inspected windows which happened to be unlocked. Seeing how it wouldn't hurt to climb in and make sure he was feeling alright, I jumped in. Boy, did I feel like an idiot looking around for someone who didn't exist. I sat on the couch, head cradled in my hands, trying to make sense of what was happening. Before doing so, I turned on a small light so I didn't give whoever walked in a heart attack.

I looked up upon hearing the door finally open. There was the maiden from the ball, in her beautiful gown, tears streaming down her face. She didn't look too surprised to see me, but more exhausted. I got up from my seat slowly, facing her.

"I-I'm sorry I broke into your house… but I'm not the one that needs to give an explanation," I narrowed my eyes and licked my lips, "Who…who are you?"

Rather than give me an answer like I expected, she fell into a heap on the ground. I quickly ran to her and kneeled down, letting her cry in my arms.

"Oh, Chase! I-It's a mess, just-" she blubbered between sobs. Something had happened to her at the ball to cause this, and the last person she was with was Gill. Anger boiled up in me, but I patted her head gently. I then made her face me, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Angela, I don't know what happened, but you need to know that I loved you regardless of your gender. I won't hurt you like Gill does! You don't deserve to be treated like this!" She was too shocked to respond.

I pulled her to my shoulder once more. I let her small frame inhale and exhale heavily against me, quieting her soft whimpers.

"Just forget about Gill and be with me," I whispered to her.

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A/N: That's it for now, I hope you enjoyed the long chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks lovelies. =]


	16. Music Video 2!

**A/N:** Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying preparing for the holidays! Just because I love all of your reviews (and the last chapter…) so much, I made another exciting music video! It correlates with chapter 15, so please go check it out. The next chapter is in the works; please bear with me as finals are coming up. Thank you lovelies~ : )

-Kohana

Watch here! **(replace the dots and slashes!)**

http:/(slash)www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=6JvJ4GwKPOE


	17. Shut Off

A/N: Hello everyone….sorry for the delay, and I'm still alive! It was just hectic getting settled with the new semester starting, but I'm back and still kicking. I can't thank you enough for all of the great reviews! Also, here is some more fan art for your viewing pleasure. Thank you Immortal-Soul-Taker for the nice work. Please message me if you would like to contribute anything. =]

REPLACE THE SLASHES:

http:/(slash).com/gallery/#/d35thhq

http:/(slash).com/gallery/#/d348ln2

Chapter 16- Shut off

**Angela's P.O.V.**

I slowly opened my puffy eyes-I assumed were swollen from crying- and rolled onto my side. I squinted at the beaming sunlight streaming through the window.

My. Head. HURT. I didn't drink anything last night, so why did I feel like crap? I deduced that it could be one of three things: stress, depression, or I was going crazy. All of which seemed pretty probable. Wrinkling my nose, I sniffed the air and propped myself up on my elbows.

_Why does it smell like bacon?_

Slowly, I placed my feet on the floor and slid on my white slippers (not before grabbing my baseball bat underneath the bed, of course). I edged across my room, prepared to swing. Holding my breath, I quickly threw open the door and hid along the side of the door frame. Poking my head around the corner, my jaw dropped when I saw a head of peach-colored hair standing at my stove.

He finally noticed my presence and turned his head to greet me.

"Good morning, Angela! Are you hungry? I made my specialty omelet," he winked.

I was speechless, and felt rather silly standing there with a baseball bat in hand. That and…I was still in my pajamas! I soon became aware that I was only wearing a night gown WITHOUT my vest.

"Um, give me a minute," I turned around on my heel and shut my door, quickly throwing on a pair of jeans and a flannel, my vest secured underneath. As I washed my face I did a mental recap of last night.

_Okay, last night I came home, saw Chase, cried, and then-? Oh my God, why can't I remember what happened after that?_

I rushed back into the kitchen in a frenzy, pressing both hands against the doorframe.

"Chase! W-what happened last night?...And why are you in my house cooking breakfast?"

He put the spatula down and gave me a puzzled look.

"You don't remember?"

Now I was ready to scream. "Don't mess with me, Chase! I'm-I'm really freaking out!" I didn't see the tears coming that welled up in my eyes, causing my voice to crack slightly.

He stopped what he was doing and hurried to where I stood. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he assured, "Angela, relax. Nothing "happened," you were just really shaken up last night and passed out from crying. And stress, I would imagine…" I exhaled and waited for him to answer the second half.

"Oh. So, I slept on the couch so I could check on you and feed you the best breakfast your taste buds have ever experienced," he boasted.

"Then, how did I wake up in my night gown?" I gave him a puzzled look.

"Oh, I don't know. You must have done that one yourself," he answered innocently.

I stared him straight in the eyes, "Do you swear to me that nothing happened?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and released his grip he had on my shoulders.

"God, Angela, what do you take me for?" Picking up his spatula, he returned to his work at the frying pan. Suddenly, last night was quickly coming back like a wave, pummeling me over.

"_Just forget about Gill and be with me,"_

I narrowed my eyes at him skeptically.

"You wouldn't happen to be doing this to appear better than a certain someone, would you?" I tried to read his intentions with my eyes. The stove's notch _clicked _off and his purple gaze flared at mine.

"I don't know what's going on in that little head of yours, but I meant what I said last night," he stepped closer until he was about a foot away from me, "and yeah, unlike a certain SOMEONE, _I care."_

I held my breath. His eyes were trailing all over my face, and his look was threatening to come closer.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Chase, but I think it's best that you leave before people think something DID happen," I breathed. His jaw tensed and he nodded, stepping away slowly. I watched him grab his blazer and walk toward the door before stopping him.

"Chase? Could you…not tell anyone what you found out last night?" I asked meekly. I felt bad asking something of him right now, but I had to. He paused, then half-chuckled sadistically, "Yes, Angela, I'll keep your secret. You can't keep up this charade forever, though." With that, he shut the door lightly behind him.

I sighed and plopped down at my dining table. Chase could be so strong-headed... I hoped that wouldn't be a problem later on. What I was more worried about, though, was whether or not he could keep my secret…

I glanced over at the counter and saw the delicious-looking omelet sitting on the counter, beckoning to me. Smiling slightly, I got up and slid it along with the bacon onto a plate and popped a piece of eggy goodness into my mouth.

_I'll admit though…the man can cook._

**Gill's P.O.V.**

The sun peaked through the grayish, fluffy clouds that covered the sky. They almost looked promising of snow, which reminded me that Winter was right around the corner. That made me dread all there was to do for the New Years Festival. There had to be food, entertainment, music…

I deeply inhaled the crisp, cold air and continued walking briskly to Marimba Farm. First, we had to discuss the flea market coming up. Facing Angela was another task on my list today that I wasn't looking forward to… I mentally smacked myself as I replayed the events of last night in my head.

_Why did I act so flirty with her? That's so unlike me… I shouldn't have entertained something that can't even happen!_

I caught my breath after that thought. Why was I bothering to care when I knew nothing would come out of it? Then I thought of how ravishing she looked in that dress last night…

_You're being frivolous, Gill. What would mother think of you playing these stupid games? _

I gazed up at her ranch sitting on its humble, accomplished hill.

_And yet…_

I had to do a double-take at what I saw next.

Walking out of Angela's home was Chase Cook. Normally, this wouldn't have been real suspicious, had it not been for the fast that it was 8 AM and he was still in his SUIT. I couldn't help but stare for a moment with a puzzled look- catching his attention as he tried to be inconspicuous. Slinging his blazer over his left shoulder, he casually walked in my direction down the path.

"Morning, Gill. Have fun last night?" he asked politely.

I tried to keep my cool as best as I could.

"Just heaps of it, thanks," I answered to get to what I really wanted to say, "May I ask what you were doing at Axel's house still in your attire?"

"Why do you care?" He raised an eyebrow at me. I gritted my teeth.

"Because, Chase, I am going to be Mayor one day, and as such, it is my duty to ensure that nothing… disconcerting is going on between residents,"

He half chuckled and kept walking, turning his head slightly back, "Relax, Gill. So we had a sleepover, what's the big deal? We're both _guys_."

I quickly spun around to face him. The way the word "guys" slid off his tongue was extremely unsettling.

"Now listen here-" I started.

"Don't worry about Axel- He doesn't need you to. Have a good day, Gillian," He threw one hand up in a backwards wave.

I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came to mind. How dare he say such a thing to me, the future Mayor? He had some nerve staying the night at Angela's house, then prancing around like it was perfectly appropriate. Who did he think he was, intruding on her like that? Catching myself going into protective-mode, a disturbing thought fluttered through my mind.

_He obviously didn't stay against her will. What if…she __**wanted**__ him to stay?_

After the way she acted last night, I had to admit that I was a little miffed by this occurrence with Chase. Was it all fake? Was it all really just for fun? Perplexed, I watched Chase smugly stride into town, while I went my separate way.

Maybe this was all a bad idea to deal with. Maybe it would be easier for everyone if I just shut off all of these feelings that were so frustrating. Feeling was overrated…I had gotten by just fine before she had to come and complicate things. I decided that I would toss this idea around in my mind for the remainder of the day. I gave Angela's farm one last look over my shoulder before continuing on my merry way.

A/N: THIS WILL CONTINUE SOON! I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging, but I figured you would appreciate what little I had sitting in my laptop. I will have more time very soon to write, I promise. This will be my first priority when I have more free time, so don't lose hope in this! Hang in there, I will be adding more soon and it most likely won't end any time soon. =] Love you all!

~Kohana


	18. Dangerous Interference

A/N: I'M BACK! I'm SO sorry it took a year for this to finally get published, but I've been working on it in little chunks. Finally, where I want to go with this came to me. So, without further ado... Here is the next chapter!

And thank you all for your kind reviews even a year later to push me to keep going! You all rock!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters- just mine. : )

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**Chapter 18- Dangerous Interference **

**Luna's P.O.V.**

Julius lifted the fluffy, white cream from his fat slice of cake.

"Mmm- Candace, dear, this is simply to die for!" Candace blushed.

"Really? I'm so glad you like it…i-it's made with love," she replied sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes at the two newlyweds. They were still being all 'goo-goo ga-ga' over each other. I sighed at my small, unimpressive chocolate cake I attempted to bake from scratch. Taking a slice of Candace's strawberry shortcake seemed like the better option for a gift.

It was the Thanksgiving festival, and cakes were being baked every which way. The winter Thanksgiving was applicable to both genders- so if you didn't get any cake, you were a sad story.

I had already received two slices: one from Angela, and another from Candace, of course. However, I still had not received a piece from the one I was truly hoping for this year… I was getting ready to head over to the Town Hall to fix that.

"Julius, do you think Gill would prefer strawberry or chocolate cake?"

Julius stared at me as he finished his bite, looking pensive. "I think Gill hates cake, and all things that are sweet and pleasant for that matter." Candace gave him a little scolding nudge.

"That's not true! He is a big softy deep down! You just have to get to it-" I immediately defended. Although, I don't think I had seen Gill truly vulnerable since he was child. Those were times that no one else knew better than I did. I could say that I had seen all sides of him, and had fallen in love with each one.

"Then I'm sure your ever-observant self has picked up on how miserable he's been ever since-" He gracefully placed a finger over his mouth, seeming to think about his next sentence.

"What?" I tilted my head.

"Nothing. Silly me, going off like that. God, this cake is heavenly." He shoved a huge bite in his mouth and licked his finger.

"JULIUS! EVER SINCE WHAT?" I slammed my fist on the table. I could be very intimidating if I needed to be. Julius knew he couldn't weasel his way out of that comment about Gill.

He gulped. "Fine Luna, you win. To put it quite simply, ever since he met his dream girl at the ball." He smirked slightly.

My mind was reeling, until finally I put the pieces together. Like a puzzle snapped in place, I connected the picture. And like a loaded cylinder, I was ready to blow.

"His…dream girl at the ball was…"

Without another word, I headed for the door, but not before grabbing a piece of Candice's cake.

**Third person P.O.V.**

"M-maybe you shouldn't have said that. Luna can get scary…" Candace said slowly.

Julius put his palm to his chin, "If I didn't get the ball rolling somehow, they'd never admit their feelings for one another."

Candace looked thoughtful.

"Who will, though…?"

"It's not for me to know, my dear. I can only do my part. For all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."

**Angela's P.O.V.**

My hands still had a nervous jitter to them as I pulled the cake from the oven. The golden-brown surface looked mouth-watering. This scrumptiously delightful cake was causing way more anxiety than any sugary dessert should.

"_Is it weird for guys to give other guys cake on this holiday? It's for both sexes, right? He can just accept it as a friendly gift...right?"_

I sighed. I felt like I was asking myself these 'fine line' questions every day. After the ball, everything just seemed…_weird_ between me and Gill. Sure, we still talked and acknowledged each other, but I couldn't help but blush or get nervous after what happened- especially when I was the only one that knew the truth. This of course, created awkward transactions between us.

My mind was already beginning to wander as those few moments replayed in my mind once more.

_"Angela…it was wonderful to meet you,"_

I could feel the heat spreading throughout my cheeks and felt my heart rate skyrocket when my phone rang.

I stumbled over to the table and brought the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sis. Listen- don't hang up on me, ok? It's important."

I sighed, asking sarcastically, "How are you, brother dearest?"

"Look, Angela, I'm sorry about hanging up on you during our last conversation. You just seemed mad and, well-"

"Axel, it's fine. But I kind of need to know what you're doing. I can't keep up this- this charade." I thought about the words Chase had used earlier.

"I know, Sis. I'm sorry for putting you through this. On the bright side, my band did really well and landed a record deal starting next year! Isn't that great?"

"Terrific news, Axel. But what does that mean for me? Girls can't own a farm here, remember? I don't want to be a guy forever! It's…it's getting messy…"

"Ohhh I get it. You liiike someone don't you?"

"N-no! That's not- ….Shut up, Axel! That's not the issue! When are you coming home?"

"Well, that's what I was going to tell you. My band got booked to play at your town's New Year's Eve festival! Look out, Castanet, here we come!"

I nearly fainted with him on the phone.

"WHAT? Just how do you expect to do that? And that's all fine and dandy that you got a record deal, but how do you plan on running a farm at the same time if your band got signed?"

"Sis, you've actually done a good job, right?"

"Well-er…I guess you could say that."

"Then when you announce that you're a girl, they won't be able to help but keep you when they consider how great you've done!"

"And you think they'll just change centuries of tradition for my special case? I'm not THAT special, Axel! Why don't you think about more than five seconds in the future?"

"Angela, I'm so sure this will work out, that if they reject you….I will gladly step in and sell the farm."

"SELL IT? YOU'RE GOING TO JUST SELL IT AFTER OUR DEAL?"

"That WAS our deal, Sis. If my band got signed, I would pay for your college tuition…with the money from the farm. That's what you wanted, remember?"

I bit my bottom lip. That WAS what I had wanted… a year ago. I exhaled deeply.

"Give me until the New Years festival to convince them to let me stay. I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to go to college knowing all of my hard work was sold for it."

"Hah, you better convince them by then, because they're going to meet your twin on New Years Eve!"

"Goodbye, asshole. Safe travels." I slammed the phone on the receiver.

It looked like my time to announce who I really was would be approaching quicker than I thought.

* * *

_Okay, Angela, you can do this. Just keep walking and put one foot in front of the other. You're going to deliver this cake all the way to town hall, note and all._

My black boots crunched through the snow as I buried my nose under my turquoise scarf that Luna crocheted for me. Supposedly turquoise was 'my color'- so I was told. Nevertheless, I appreciated her act of friendship and the warmth. I wondered if she would still be my friend after all of this was over. I was grateful that she had kept my secret thus far.

If I had to expose myself on good terms to the Mayor, going through his son might give me some leverage. It was time to be honest with myself, and most importantly, with Gill.

I pulled open the huge, wooden door leading to the Town Hall and stomped the snow off of my boots. On the front counter was a tiny sign that said 'Out to Lunch'. Looking around, the entire office was deserted, including Gill's desk. I sighed in relief. Leaving this here without a confrontation was much easier.

On Gill's desk, I placed the slice of strawberry shortcake, along with a note explaining everything- my reasons for inheriting the farm, the ball, and the situation with my brother. It took a good five minutes to walk out the door without running back to retrieve it. Once I was outside, I trudged on feeling liberated.

_Now he will know the truth by the end of the day. No more secrets; no more guilt._

**Luna's P.O.V.**

I don't think anyone could have seen what was coming next- including myself. Typically, I had always been a relatively passive aggressive person when it came to conflicts. Never had I needed to get nasty about things-especially with another female. But this. Was. The. Last. Straw.

There I was, standing in front of Gill's desk in the Town Hall, about to present Candice's-I mean, my piece of cake. To my horror and disgust, there was already the same, exact cake staring back at me!

I immediately snatched the piece of attached paper to see who had the nerve to do such a thing, and sure enough, it was just as I had suspected.

My eyes skimmed over the fine, delicate handwriting at first, then quickly widened with interest.

_ Gill,_

_ Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy the cake- I did my best, but it's nothing special. I didn't write this note just to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, though. It's a little more pressing…_

_ This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I beg of you to listen to my whole story and try to understand. For the past year, I have taken my twin brothers' place on the farm and impersonated a male. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. We made a deal that if his band made it big, he would pay for my college tuition. Now, he fulfilled his part of the deal, and it's time for mine. If I don't convince the Mayor to let me stay here, I will be forced to leave and the farm will be sold. Because it would kill me to see the prosperity of the island leave like that, I am asking for your help. You're the only one that can have an impact on your Father's decision. _

_I should also mention about the Masquerade Ball. If you haven't put the pieces together yet, that was me. I should have told you right then and there, but I couldn't help living in a fantasy world; if only for one night. I only hope that you aren't upset with me enough to still treasure that memory._

_I'm not at all suggesting that I should be worth your time and effort to keep me here… but every second was worthwhile to me._

_Well, now you know everything. I've been completely honest and have no more secrets… except maybe one. We can talk more about all of this in person. Please meet me in front of the Lighthouse at 6 pm tonight, if it's not too much to ask._

_She's actually telling him the truth! What is she thinking?_

I physically shuddered at the last sentence. "_If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I won't let you down again. Love, Angela." _

"_Love"? _When had all of this transpired? Right under my nose all along, that's when. Before my very eyes, she had been slipping her way in between my one true love and I. I had grown to love Angela as my friend- even seeking advice from her! And she couldn't even tell me how she was feeling.

She didn't understand what Gill and I had. We were expected to marry since we were five years old! All of the adults would always coo about how darling we played together and how wonderful it would be if we ended up together. If I let Gill read this letter, he might just fall for her- or worse- run away from the island and marry her! This just wouldn't do.

_Angela, I'm sorry. You've been a friend, but when you come between me and Gill, I just can't stand aside and watch everything crumble to pieces._

It was time to take action. I quickly ripped up her letter into tiny pieces and tossed it, with her cake, in the trash can. Placing my cake gracefully in its place, I turned on my heel and walked out the door.

I decided it was time to have a little chit-chat with the Mayor about the future prosperity of the island.

* * *

A/N: Review! : )


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